Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua dominated MMA star Francis Ngannou without leaving any room for doubt, knocking out the Cameroonian in the second round, on the night of Friday to Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou, 37, was competing in the second boxing match of his career and conceded his second defeat. After making Tyson Fury falter in the fall, this time he was largely outclassed by Joshua, who returned to the heavyweight category with four consecutive victories.
The defeat will certainly leave its mark on the former MMA champion. However, he is not going to stop boxing. “For now, I will go home, rest, digest what has just happened,” Ngannou said at a press conference. “You know, it’s been a hell of a day. I will digest it and take stock of the next steps. Maybe MMA, but you can be sure I’m not done here. Absolutely not. I’m not finished.”
Ngannou also spoke on his X account (ex-Twitter): “Sorry for letting you guys down. It was a bad day at work but tomorrow is another day. Thank you all for the love,” he wrote.
For his part, Anthony Joshua invited him to “respect” his opponent. “He is a great champion and that does not take away from his abilities. He is in two fights and he has faced the best, he assured at a press conference. Don’t leave boxing, if you need anything, we’ll talk about it later.”
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