(Reuters) - Former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou has been ranked number 10 in the heavyweight division by the World Boxing Council (WBC) on Wednesday following a split decision loss to champion Tyson Fury in his professional boxing debut last month.
Ngannou faced Fury in a non-title bout in Riyadh on Oct. 28 and narrowly lost after scoring a third round knockdown against the undefeated WBC champion.
The WBC took the rare decision to award a ranking to a boxer with no professional wins at their 2023 convention.
The Cameroon-French 37-year-old transitioned from Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to boxing after the UFC released their heavyweight champion in January following unsuccessful contract negotiations.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
