Ngannou calls Usyk-Verhoeven decision wrong after scorecard split

Francis Ngannou says Rico Verhoeven was robbed in his exhibition against Oleksandr Usyk. The heavyweight, speaking to BBC Sport, drew on his own experience to question the judges' verdict.

“Outsiders will never win, trust me I know, but Rico was the winner tonight. Period.”

— Francis Ngannou, via BBC Sport

What Francis Ngannou said

Ngannou fought Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in boxing after leaving the UFC, losing both bouts on points and stoppage respectively. The former UFC heavyweight champion has repeatedly spoken about scoring disadvantages for crossover fighters in boxing.

What it moves

Verhoeven lost the exhibition on points after eight two-minute rounds. Ngannou's claim that Verhoeven won outright adds fuel to the debate over whether kickboxing champions can get fair treatment on boxing scorecards. Usyk's team has not responded publicly.

Source: bbc.com. Full Francis Ngannou fight history and recent news at boxingnews.com.