Does Francis Ngannou deserve his boxing world ranking? WBC president tackles criticism about the decision
While Francis Ngannou hadn't stepped foot inside the boxing ring in a professional capacity prior to October, he is currently the No. 10 ranked heavyweight contender of the WBC. Suffice it to say the inclusion has rattled many feathers, and the WBC President has now tackled the criticism.
'The Predator's' inclusion in the top 10 came following his competitive fight against WBC and lineal world champion Tyson Fury in October in Riyadh, which saw him knock down 'The Gypsy King' in the third round.
While the former UFC heavyweight champion ultimately lost via a razor-close split decision to Fury, many in the fighting community felt the Cameroonian was robbed of a win.
During WBC's year-end meeting, president Mauricio Sulaiman explained the rationale behind Ngannou's induction into the Top 10, arguing that similar considerations have been made in the past for Muay Thai fighters. He said (h/t Seconds Out on YouTube):
"We have plenty of examples of Muay Thai fighters from Thailand who convert to international boxing, which is boxing, and they have been ranked by the WBC directly from Muay Thai. One of them wanted a title in the second professional fight... and nobody ever had said anything."
Sulaiman then doubled down, saying that if such consideration could be made, it was not out of bounds to make similar concessions for a highly accomplished former MMA world champion like Francis Ngannou, who performed exceptionally well against a boxing world champion.
He added:
"So you have the rules acceptance of evaluating combat sports and the performance in a boxing match. I'm proud of the WBC rating committee."
Catch Mauricio Sulaiman's comments about Francis Ngannou below (0:38):
Francis Ngannou discusses potential fight against Deontay Wilder
Francis Ngannou's competitive outing against Tyson Fury has unequivocally taken his profile to greater fights. His exploits in Riyadh have opened doors for numerous potential superfights, and it looks like Deontay Wilder could be one of them.
During an interview with TMZ Sports last month, 'The Predator' teased the possibility of facing 'The Bronze Bomber' in the PFL smart cage:
"I have been hearing [about] this potential Deontay Wilder fight for a couple of months now, and I've heard that he is training MMA. I don't know for sure, but I have heard that. That might be something that can potentially happen with mixed rules."
Catch Francis Ngannou's comments below (2:34):
While the former WBC title holder had previously noted his willingness to get into the cage with Ngannou, it is unlikely that the fight will happen soon. Wilder is scheduled to face Joseph Parker on 23rd December.