Tyson Fury's Knockdown Controversy: Video footage shows referee reaching 8-count after 16 seconds, social media erupts

Fans debated whether or not Tyson Fury received extra time to recover after being knocked down by Francis Ngannou.

On October 28, the combat sports community was shocked as Ngannou nearly pulled off one of the biggest boxing upsets of all time. The fight started as expected, with Fury controlling most of the first two rounds.

In round three, Francis Ngannou set social media on fire by knocking down Tyson Fury. ‘The Gypsy King’ took some time to recover before getting up and continuing the boxing match, which ended with a split-decision win for him.

The aftermath of Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou has featured several controversial debates, including how long it took the WBC heavyweight champion to get up from the knockdown.

Earlier today, a popular X account called 'Boxing n BBQ' shared a video of Fury getting up with a timer attached. The social media post was captioned:

“The Ngannou vs Fury Knockdown with a [Timer] Yes it’s a 10 count not 10 seconds. Yes Ngannou should have went to his corner. Yes the ref was at an 8 count 16 seconds in. What do y’all think??????”

The comments section was filled with various responses, including some saying:

“And that is how boxing is corrupt for that exact reason! It needs to be a 10 second timer when someone is knocked down and not the referee with a ten count! And needs a global boxing commission!”

“He was up already, ref probably waited for Ngannou to go to the corner but I doubt it had an effect. Ref could’ve also counted 8 then made Fury walk around a bit which wouldve given him extra seconds. All normal.”

“Calm down. It was just Fury's mid-fight nap time. We all know the drill”

“The count is biass”

“Poor officiating again overseen by the British Boxing Board of Control.”

“Ngannou lost, people need to get over it and move on. That's what I think”

“He was up well before 6. What's the running clock here for?”

“That’s Francis lack of experience. Your opponent is down? Run to the next corner, don’t dance over them. But I guess even the KD and dance was better for FN all round. It goes viral, he’s hailed and Fury is condemned for getting dropped by a MMA fighter with zero experience.”

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Once the dust settled, Tyson Fury had his hand raised for a split-decision win (96-93, 95-94 and 94-95). Although Fury officially won the fight, Francis Ngannou and a good number of combat sports fans aren’t convinced the judges’ scorecards were right.

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Francis Ngannou calls out judges for controversial scorecards in Tyson Fury fight

Following the final bell, most people thought Francis Ngannou had pulled off the impossible. Unfortunately for him, the judges didn’t agree as Tyson Fury edged out a close split decision. On Sunday, Ngannou reacted to the loss on X by saying:

“This boxing world wild but some judges should be responsible for their actions. This type of stuff is what f*cks up people's career.”

Regardless of the scorecards, there’s no doubt Francis Ngannou made the most of his opportunity. Not only did he reportedly earn over $10 million, but the former UFC heavyweight champion also gained the respect of nearly every fan who doubted him.