Anthony Joshua scored a stunning knockout of Francis Ngannou in the second round of their heavyweight bout Friday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a right hand that landed cleanly on the former UFC heavyweight champion's jaw, knocking him unconscious. Made it unclear.
After Ngannou regained consciousness, ringside officials administered oxygen to the 37-year-old, who was boxing for the second time.
England's Joshua, 34, was knocked down with a right hand in the opening round, but Ngannou appeared unsteady after beating the count. Joshua produced another knockdown in the second round, with a balanced shot that connected with Ngannou's left ear.
Moments after Ngannou got back up from his second knockdown, Joshua landed a perfectly placed straight right that landed him flush and put him on the canvas for good. Ngannou's legs bent awkwardly beneath him as all of the 272.5-pound MMA fighter fell to the canvas in a heap.
“On the road to a championship, you always have to stay focused,” said Joshua, a former two-time heavyweight champion. “This is what took me away from that mission. …But when I saw, [Ngannou] In the fight with Tyson Fury, I said, “Damn, this guy can fight,'' and I want some of that.
“He's an inspiration. … He's a great champion. This doesn't take away from his ability in any way because in boxing one or the other is important. He can come back. ”
Ngannou said on social media after the loss: Post to X“I'm sorry I let you all down. Today was my worst day at the office, but tomorrow will be another. Thank you for all your love.”
Ngannou (0-2) shocked the sports world in October when he faced ESPN's No. 1 heavyweight Fury, dropping him in the third round via split decision. Cameroonian Ngannou is considered one of the best heavyweights in UFC history, but it was still a big surprise that he was able to compete against the best heavyweight boxer in the world.
Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) was scheduled to face fellow former champion Deontay Wilder on this date until Joseph Parker's upset victory over Wilder in December. On the same card, Joshua scored a fourth round TKO victory over Otto Wallin.
With Wilder removed from the roster, Ngannou competed in an unprecedented second professional boxing match against one of the sport's elite. This performance did not go as well as the first.
“He believed in his dream and followed it,” Fury said. “He made a lot of money. It's great to support his family. He's had a great life. If you want to box, keep going. … He's still undefeated as an MMA champion. Just because he won.'' A win here tonight will allow him to return to mixed martial arts and destroy that world again…Keep your chin high. ”
Ngannou's last MMA bout took place in January 2022, where he defeated Cyril Gane by decision to retain the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He subsequently parted ways with his organization over disagreements over his financial worth and signed with the PFL.
But Ngannou has yet to compete in the PFL and told ESPN on Sunday that he doesn't know if he will fight in MMA this year. Of course, that was before he was promptly sacked by Joshua in the boxing ring.
“I told him he shouldn't quit boxing,” Joshua said. “He can do well. Remember, he's had his best fights in the last two fights.”
Joshua is ESPN's No. 3 heavyweight. The Olympic gold medalist won his first title in 2016 and defended it six times, including wins over Wladimir Klitschko and Parker, before being stopped in seven rounds by Andy Ruiz in one of the biggest upsets in glamor division history. Ta.
Joshua regained his three titles by decision from Ruiz in Riyadh later that year, and although he successfully defended his title once, he was edged by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021. Usyk defeated Joshua for the second time by decision in their 2022 rematch.
After two losses to Usyk, Joshua teamed up with trainer Derrick James and defeated Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius last year. Joshua changed corners again ahead of his fight with Wallin in December, linking up with former Fury trainer Ben Davison and looking rejuvenated.
Joshua returned to his Seek and Destroy style in December, breaking Wallin's nose and forcing him to retire on a chair.
After his explosive knockout win over Ngannou, there is no doubt that Joshua has fully regained the confidence he seemed to have lost in the aftermath of his losses to Ruiz and Usyk.
“He crushed Francis Ngannou,” said Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn. “The best heavyweight in the world. I can't wait to see him beat Tyson Fury.”
For now, the best heavyweight in the world will be decided on May 18 in Riyadh when Fury takes on Usyk for the undisputed championship. They are also scheduled for a rematch later this year.
But if Fury can win a series of fights, the long-awaited showdown with Joshua could finally happen.
“It's me and Usyk fighting for number one and number two and the undisputed world championship,” Fury said.
He added, “He had a great performance against Ngannou. I'm not saying anything different… [Joshua] Knocked him out, that's what a boxer should do to him.if [Joshua] If he fights me in the future after the two fights with Usyk next year, it will be different. ”