Francis Ngannou ranked No. 10 by WBC following split-decision loss to Tyson Fury

15/11/2023 17:00

Just one fight into his professional boxing career, and Francis Ngannou has already cracked the top 10 rankings.

On the heels of razor-close split decision loss to Tyson Fury in October, the former UFC heavyweight champion has officially been ranked at No. 10 by the WBC in their updated rankings released on Wednesday.

"Francis Ngannou did an outstanding job dropping the WBC Heavyweight Champion and the WBC Board of Governors has agreed to rank him as No. 10 in the Heavyweight division," WBC officials said with the announcement.

During their 10-round fight, Ngannou scored the only knockdown after he blasted Fury with a punch in the third round that sent "The Gypsy King" crashing to the canvas. Fury got back to his feet but it was a stunning turn of events after Ngannou was considered a massive underdog heading into the fight.

It was a back-and-forth fight throughout but Fury managed to eke out a split decision victory to keep his undefeated record intact. He's now expected to clash with Oleksandr Usyk in February to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion with every major title on the line in that bout.

Fury is the reigning WBC champion with Deontay Wilder sitting at No. 1 and Anthony Joshua at No. 2 overall. You can see the full top 10 rankings below:

As for Ngannou, he's still weighing his options for what comes next after he nearly shocked the world with his performance against Fury. He called for an immediate rematch with Fury but obviously that won't happen next.

He's also been rumored as a potential opponent for Wilder and Joshua, although they are both expected to compete in separate fights at a boxing event scheduled in Saudi Arabia in December.

For now, Ngannou can enjoy his top 10 ranking after a hard-fought battle against Fury in his debut as he awaits his next challenge in either boxing or MMA.