The WBC heavyweight world champion controversially beat the former UFC star by split decision in Riyadh after being knocked down in the third round.

The judges scored the fight 94-95, 96-93 and 95-94 in favour of Fury, a result which was widely panned within the boxing world and beyond.

Making his professional boxing debut, Ngannou surprised the Gypsy King and even wore an illegal shot in the sixth round after Fury threw an elbow that landed clean on his face.

The Cameroonian looked momentarily startled by the hit, but immediately recovered and continued to fight. While banned in boxing, elbow shots are permitted in MMA.

Tyson Fury (right) appeared to hit Francis Ngannou with an elbow shot during the bout

Watching ringside, Cristiano Ronaldo looked surprised by the elbow shot

Watching the fight ringside, Cristiano Ronaldo looked as surprise as Ngannou after Fury landed his elbow straight on his opponent’s face.

Ronaldo was one several A-listers who attended the bout, alongside former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand, Brazil star Ronaldo, ex-UFC world champion Conor McGregor and rap icons Kanye West and Eminem.

Slo-mo footage proves Tyson Fury ELBOWED Francis Ngannou during controversial win in Saudi Arabia… with Cristiano Ronaldo looking stunned by the illegal shot as the former MMA star barely flinched

Tyson Fury appeared to hit Francis Ngannou with his elbow during his controversial win on Saturday night.

The WBC heavyweight world champion controversially beat the former UFC star by split decision in Riyadh after being knocked down in the third round.

The judges scored the fight 94-95, 96-93 and 95-94 in favour of Fury, a result which was widely panned within the boxing world and beyond.

Making his professional boxing debut, Ngannou surprised the Gypsy King and even wore an illegal shot in the sixth round after Fury threw an elbow that landed clean on his face.

The Cameroonian looked momentarily startled by the hit, but immediately recovered and continued to fight. While banned in boxing, elbow shots are permitted in MMA.

Tyson Fury (right) appeared to hit Francis Ngannou with an elbow shot during the bout

Watching ringside, Cristiano Ronaldo looked surprised by the elbow shot

Watching the fight ringside, Cristiano Ronaldo looked as surprise as Ngannou after Fury landed his elbow straight on his opponent’s face.

Ronaldo was one several A-listers who attended the bout, alongside former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand, Brazil star Ronaldo, ex-UFC world champion Conor McGregor and rap icons Kanye West and Eminem.

Reigning heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk was also in attendance, less than two months away from his undisputed heavyweight fight Fury.

Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion, is scheduled to fight the Ukrainian, who holds the three other world titles, in Saudi Arabia on December 23.

But his performance against Ngannou has cast doubts over whether the fight will go ahead as planned.

Fury himself did little to dispel doubts the fight on December 23 may be postponed.

‘We’ll put the biggest fight of our generation on,’ he said on Sunday.

‘The fight of the century for the undisputed [heavyweight] championships of the world. See you all sometime next year.

Fury preserved his unbeaten record after beating Ngannou by split decision

The former MMA star was making his professional boxing debut but surprised the Gypsy King

Ngannou floored Fury in the third round and many felt he should have won the bout

‘Have a good Christmas if I don’t see you and a happy New Year.’

His comments were in stark contrast with his remarks before the fight, in which he was adamant the undisputed fight with Usyk would take place in December.

‘Usyk has got to fight in December,’ he bullishly told Sky Sports.

‘He doesn’t have a choice. He signed the contract, so if he doesn’t [fight] he’s breached the contract and he gets sued.’

Speaking on Sunday, promoter Frank Warren suggested the fight may take place at some point next year.

‘We were going to do it on 23 December. I doubt that will happen now,’ he told BBC 5Live Boxing podcast,

Ronaldo was one several A-listers who attended the bout on Saturday night

‘Tyson can’t be going into a camp after a tough fight like that. That’s eight weeks away.

‘He needs at least a bit of time to get himself, his body, back into shape. Let it heal. Then get into a camp. It will be on early next year.’

Usyk, however, insisted the fight will go ahead on December 23.

‘We have a contract that says the fight has to take place on 23 December. Let Fury vacate his title first, then he can take his rest,’ he told Boxing King Media.