When Francis Ngannou explained why Tyson Fury loss did not infuriate him despite being a dream 25 years in making

The judges didn't ruin Francis Ngannou's night last October.

That month, 'The Predator' traveled to Saudi Arabia to face lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. For Ngannou, the bout was his first since a title defense against Ciryl Gane in January 2022, his final fight in the UFC.

Following that bout, Ngannou signed a deal to face the British boxer in his first boxing match. For the MMA fighter, it was a dream come true. Before even knowing what the UFC was, Ngannou wanted to be a boxer and was inspired by the likes of Mike Tyson.

Eventually, he befriended 'Iron Mike', who even trained him during the build to Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury. On fight night, the PFL heavyweight nearly shocked the world. He dropped the boxer in round three and even gave him a small cut.

After 10 rounds of action, Fury emerged with a split-decision victory. The result was extremely controversial, as many fans and fighters thought Ngannou deserved the win. Three months on from that fight, the former UFC champion isn't mad, however.

Speaking in a recent interview with The Independent, Ngannou admitted:

“I come from Africa. I come from a continent with 1.3bn people. Sixty percent of them are just youths, I think under 20 years old, and not many of them have the opportunity to accomplish their dream. I was living the dream. From where I started, from where I was born, to get there that night and accomplish that dream I’ve been carrying for 25 years, do you think I would let some f***ing judges take that pleasure away from me? No."

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Will Tyson Fury face Francis Ngannou again?

There's a good chance fans will get Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou 2 in 2024.

Due to the controversial decision in the heavyweight bout, many called for a rematch. 'The Predator' himself wanted a second crack at Fury badly, but he will have to wait.

The British boxer had already signed a deal to face Oleksandr Usyk and will do so on February 17. The bout takes place just weeks before Francis Ngannou will head to the ring in Saudi Arabia to face Anthony Joshua.

Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh has already revealed plans for the winners of the two heavyweight bouts to fight in 2024. While there's still a lot that needs to happen, there's a good shot fans will get to see Fury and Ngannou run it back.