RIYADH (Saudi Arabia): Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou, 37,narrowly lost to Fury on points after knocking the Briton down. Fury’s WBC title was not on the line for the bout as Ngannou was not previously ranked by the body.
But at their 2023 convention, the WBC said he would come in at number 10 with Deontay Wilder ranked the number one contender and Anthony Joshua second. The WBC is a sanctioning body that oversees its own world rankings, with the IBF, WBO and WBA also having their own rankings.
The WBC also announced that a mandatory challenger for Fury’s title would not be called until next year.
Fury will fight WBA, WBO and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed heavyweight contest in February. That fight will be announced this week as two undefeated fighters contest the undisputed heavyweight championship for the first time since 1999.
Former UFC champion Ngannou intends to continue with his boxing career and has been linked with bouts against the likes of former world champions Joshua and Wilder.
However, Joshua and Wilder are set to fight on the same card on 23 December in Saudi Arabia. The rivals will fight separate opponents before potentially facing each other in 2024. ‑BBC
