EXCLUSIVE: Eddie Hearn says he 'felt in his gut' that Tyson Fury LOST to Francis Ngannou in their 'Battle of the Baddest' showdown on 'The Hook'... and claims the fight has 'devalued' his looming match-up with Oleksandr Usyk

Eddie Hearn believes that Tyson Fury 'lost' his high-profile conflict pinch Francis Ngannou successful Riyadh connected Saturday evening, and shared his views connected nan conflict pinch Mail Sport's podcast 'The Hook'. 

The lineal heavyweight champion anticipated a demolition of nan erstwhile UFC champion, but Ngannou came leaping retired nan gates to return nan title the afloat 10 rounds. 

Ngannou moreover managed to knock Fury to nan canvas - but Fury was handed nan triumph by split-decision.  

But successful his first-ever fight, Ngannou acquitted himself well, pinch galore earmarking fighters including Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua arsenic imaginable early opponents. 

Hearn himself labelled Fury's capacity 'dreadful' and questioned which of nan brace had 'never fought before' connected Saturday successful Saudi Arabia. 

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ON MAIL SPORT'S BOXING YOUTUBE CHANNEL 

'Before nan conflict I gave Francis Ngannou zero chance of winning, like, connected insubstantial it's conscionable nan astir unspeakable mismatch,' Hearn said. 'A feline who has ne'er had a master boxing match. And I deliberation location was decidedly an constituent of Tyson looking done him, he wasn't arsenic good prepared as he should person been, but it was still an atrocious performance.  

'I consciousness a spot for Oleksandr Usyk because nan Fury-Uysk conflict is massively devalued to nan constituent that Francis Ngannou should get his rematch,' he added. 'I felt (Ngannou) won nan fight. When nan last doorbell went, my gut emotion was he's sewage this.'  

Hearn besides stressed that he 'felt' for Ngannou because 'if he would person sewage nan last consequence connected paper, it would person gone down arsenic 1 of nan top sporting victories. Forget  boxing - successful nan history of sport. Forget Buster Douglas against Mike Tyson, hide Joshua-(Andy) Ruiz. 

'It was close, but if Fury had've dropped Ngannou and wounded him a mates of times, we would person said that Fury should person won nan fight. But he didn't really do anything. 

'Fury looked frightened successful nan backmost extremity of nan fight. Everytime they sewage successful a clinch, he looked for illustration he was getting flung around. It was a difficult conflict successful that nary 1 really did a batch successful nan backmost extremity but - but because (Ngannou) dropped him and because he won those early 2 rounds, for me, he won nan fight. 

'When nan last doorbell went, I went "oh my God, he's lost." Everyone was messaging maine saying "Fury's conscionable lost, Fury's conscionable lost". And then, of course, it went to last people cards and he won. 

'Most people's guidance was that Ngannou won nan fight. I can't judge it. 

'Fury looked for illustration nan feline who's ne'er boxed before. It was amazing.' 

In voicing his opinion, Hearn joined Carl Froch, who called triumph for nan Gypsy King 'corruption of nan highest order'. 

'Tyson Fury sewage beat. That was a bad decision,' nan erstwhile middleweight world champion claimed. 

'Tyson Fury against Oleksandr Usyk is nan conflict we should beryllium getting, and that’s nan logic I deliberation Ngannou didn’t get nan motion past night. 

'For me, it’s corruption astatine nan highest level.'

Hearn besides hinted that location would beryllium a hold to Fury's title pinch Usyk, saying that he didn't spot it until 'February aliases March'.