MMA Fighting has Fury vs. Ngannou results live for the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou fight card at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday afternoon.
When the main event begins around 5:45 p.m. ET, check out our Fury vs. Ngannou live round-by-round updates for our live blog of the main event.
Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24 knockouts) will fight for the first time this year at the event. The WBC heavyweight champion is expected to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title at the end of the year.
Francis Ngannou, 37, makes his pro boxing debut. It will be his first fight since his departure from the UFC. The former UFC heavyweight champion posted a 17-3 record in MMA with 12 knockouts.
Main Event
Tyson Fury def. Francis Ngannou via split decision | Highlights | Reax
Check out Fury vs. Ngannou undercard live blog below:
The main card kicks off with a matchup between top heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma and Istvan Bernath.
Moses Itauma vs. Istvan Bernath
Round 1: Itauma immediately the aggressor. Bernath keeps his guard high as he works his way out of the corner. Itauma flurries to the body as Bernath defends against the ropes. Back to the center and Itauma lands another good body shot. Jabs from Itauma open up another body shot, Bernath can’t find an opening to fire back. Quick strike from Itauma drops Bernath. The action resumes and there’s a hard left from Itauma. Right hook has Bernath reeling against the ropes. Itauma not letting up, Bernath just turtling up and the referee has to jump in for the save. Quick and efficient work from Itauma.
Official result: Moses Itauma def. Istvan Bernath via TKO (R1, 1:53)
WBC heavyweight contender Arslanbek Makhmudov faces Junior Anthony Wright next.
Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Junior Anthony Wright
Round 1: Makhmudov flicking out a long right hand to start. It’s not long before he’s headhunting though, Wright countering by jabbing the body. They exchange punches. Wright to the body, they clinch. Good right by Makhmudov. Another right lands and Wright is stunned before catching a follow-up left that sends him crashing to the mat. Wright answers the count, but he does not look good. Another big Makhmudov right hand lands and Wright is wobbly. He doesn’t fall, but he’s in bad enough shape that the referee waves it off. Probably the right call.
Official result: Arslanbek Makhmudov def. Junior Anthony Wright via TKO (R1, 1:10)
More heavyweights next! Former WBO champion Joseph Parker fights Canada’s Simon Kean.
Joseph Parker vs. Simon Kean
Round 1: Kean fires a jab to gauge the range. Parker connects early with a stiff left. There’s a right to the body by Parker. Kean sticks that jab in Parker’s face. Parker makes use of the jab to open Kean’s defenses up. Parker with a right hand as they clash in the center of the ring. Kean backs Parker up with a glancing left. Good jab by Kean to slow a Parker advance. They trade body punches off a clinch. Kean with a left hook to close out the round.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Kean.
Round 2: Kean more aggressive to start this round. Parker throws a quick combo as Kean backs up. Parker pops Kean with a jab. Parker scores with a left hook. Right hand over the top from Kean connects. Parker answers with another combination, finishing to the body. Kean walks into a hard left from Parker. Kean waiting, but Parker is leading the action in Round 2. They trade jabs. Neither fighter letting their hands go here.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Parker. Overall, 19-19.
Round 3: Parker keeping Kean at bay with a long jab. Kean steps forward to land a jab of his own. Parker with a jab right down the middle as Kean looks for his chance to throw. More jabs from Parker. Parker with a good uppercut. He follows with a hard right. Kean in retreat mode, but Parker catches him with an uppercut for the knockdown. That one rattled Kean bad and he can’t beat the count. Methodical KO win for Parker.
Official result: Joseph Parker def. Simon Kean via KO – Round 3, 2:04
One heavyweight fight left before the Fury vs. Ngannou main event, a battle of undefeated boxers between Fabio Wardley and David Adeleye.
Fabio Wardley vs. David Adeleye
Round 1: Adeleye the first to land with a quick jab. There’s a shot to the body by Wardley. Wardley with a right to the body set up by a series of feints. Adeleye circling as Wardley holds the center of the ring. Wardley going to the body when he can close the distance. Adeleye’s counters are falling just short. Nice looping left hook from Adeleye. Wardley with a flurry to close the round.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Wardley.
Round 2: Wardley clinches up to stop an early Adeleye advance. Wardley zings in a right to the body. He’s sticking with that technique to keep Adeleye on the defensive. That left hand from Adeleye catches Wardley again. Jab by Wardley. He’s looking to set up his right. And he nearly catches Adeleye with a good one. Wardley lets the right go again and it connects.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Wardley. Overall, 20-18 Wardley.
Round 3: Wardley fires in a left to the body. Adeleye and Wardley just start mashing together, some ugly clinch work there. Referee warns Adeleye not to throw an elbow in the clinch. Exchange of jabs. Wardley attacks the body. Adeleye steps forward and eats a right hand. Wardley is walking him down, navigating Adeleye’s jab well. Wardley lands a right hand.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Wardley. Overall, 30-27 Wardley.
Round 4: Adeleye connects with a left hand as Wardley advances awkwardly. Wardley throws a right to the body. Wardley just measuring Adeleye as he corners him before unleashing a five-punch combo. Just not much output from Adeleye so far. Double jab from Wardley has Adeleye on the run. One-way traffic in Round 4 with Adeleye not having an answer for Wardley’s offense.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Wardley. Overall, 40-36 Wardley.
Round 5: Wardley landing that jab at will. He follows a left with a right hand. Adeleye jsut can’t find the range. He lets his right hand go, but it’s not scoring. There’s a jab by Adeleye. He’s landing the occasional single shot as Wardley goes after him. Wardley scores with a jab of his own. Nice left hook by Adeleye, then an uppercut. Wardley answers, but Adeleye stays on him. Wardley’s defense holds up and he gets Adeleye to back off. Right hand by Wardley, he keeps landing that at the end of rounds.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Adeleye. Overall, 49-46 Wardley.
Round 6: Wardley to the body early, but Adeleye hits a body shot and then catches Wardley with a punch over the top. Intensity level rising. Referee warns both fighters about possible punches to the back of the head. Right hand by Wardley. Adeleye hits a jab as he circles out of danger. Wardley jabs at a circling Adeleye. Jab by Adeleye. Wardley answers with a jab and something seems to be bothering Adeleye. He’s blinking in discomfort. A 1-2 lands for Wardley and then a strong jab.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Wardley. Overall, 59-55 Wardley.
Round 7: Wardley and Adeleye just staring each other down as Wardley scores with a couple of jabs. He’s popping Adeleye’s head back. Right to the body by Wardley. Now an overhand right by Wardley. Adeleye only throwing jabs. Wardley makes him pay out of the clinch with a left hand bomb that floors Adeleye. A wounded Adeleye is back up, 30 seconds left in the round. Wardley chasing the finish, his punches get a little wild but he does enough to earn the stoppage, much to the displeasure of Adeleye.
Official result: Fabio Wardley def. David Adeleye via TKO (R7, 2:43)