Fury turns focus to Usyk after surviving huge scare against Ngannou in Riyadh

Tyson Fury has turned his attention to the highly-anticipated unification bout with fellow heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk after surviving a huge scare against mixed martial arts fighter Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Fury, the unbeaten WBC belt holder, faced former UFC heavyweight king Ngannou in a lucrative and glamorous crossover bout in Riyadh which attracted some serious star power; in addition to scores of boxing legends in attendance, the likes of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and music icons Eminem and Kante West were ringside to witness two combat sports giants go toe-to-toe.

However, what was expected to be an easy night's work for Fury against boxing novice Ngannou transpired to be anything but as the British fighter climbed off the canvas in the third round to secure a contentious split decision victory.

"He's a very awkward man, and he's a good puncher and I respect him a lot," Fury, 35, said of Ngannou, adding that it was "probably my toughest fight in 10 years".

Fury was the overwhelming favourite against Ngannou, with the Cameroonian competing in a professional boxing bout for the first time. But the 37-year-old Ngannou defied all expectations, not only taking the fight to Fury and landing several significant punches but also by going the full distance.

"This was my first boxing match, great experience. I'm not giving any excuse," Ngannou said in a ringside interview. "I know I come up short, I'm going to come back and work harder... now I know I can do this."

Fury came out swinging in the first round with a hard right hand but sustained a cut to the forehead in the second round and looked especially sluggish after hitting the mat in the third.

The final rounds dragged as both