Francis Ngannou suffered his inaugural professional knockout at the hands of Anthony Joshua in a captivating showdown in Saudi Arabia. The Cameroonian UFC star, transitioning to boxing, conceded to being unable to perceive the punch that concluded the bout, highlighting the formidable power of Joshua’s strikes.
Ngannou acknowledged the uniqueness of Joshua’s performance, stating in a post-fight interview reported by the Mirror, “[Joshua] was quite special because he stopped me. He did what Tyson couldn’t do. In fact, I didn’t feel the punch. I think that’s what a knockout is about. I don’t feel any pain. That’s how I know I was knocked out.”
Despite the defeat, Ngannou remains determined, expressing, “You can be sure I’m not done here. It wasn’t my day. He was way better than me today. It sucks but it’s the game. We all know that.”
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Joshua, recognizing Ngannou’s potential, encouraged him to persevere in boxing, stating, “When I saw the fight with Tyson Fury, I thought ‘I want some of that.’ [Ngannou] is a great champion, and this doesn’t take anything away from his capabilities. I told him not to leave boxing. He’s two fights in, and he’s fought the best.”
While Ngannou ventured into boxing last year, signing with the PFL, his recent defeat might lead to a return to MMA. UFC chief Dana White, who had criticized Ngannou before, expressed skepticism about his choices, stating, “Francis wants to take zero risks, doesn’t want to take any chances, and he didn’t want to take a chance with Jon Jones – and after we saw what happened with Ciryl Gane, I don’t blame him. I think the outcome would’ve been exactly the same, and I’m sure most of you do, and I’m sure Francis does too.”