Anthony “AJ” Joshua (28-3) delivered a devastating second-round knockout to Francis Ngannou (0-2) on Friday at Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia, inducing several minutes of unconsciousness for the former UFC heavyweight champion. Ngannou, 37, required oxygen to regain consciousness after succumbing to the powerful blow.
In the opening round, the 34-year-old Joshua dropped Ngannou when the latter switched to a southpaw stance, repeating the feat in the following frame. The audience fell silent as medics swiftly entered the ring at the referee’s count.
P̶r̶e̶d̶a̶t̶o̶r̶ to prey. pic.twitter.com/Eb40CrU1Dm
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) March 9, 2024
Ngannou managed to rise eventually but appeared visibly shaken and disoriented. Despite surviving the count in both the first and second rounds, AJ delivered a decisive blow that dropped him for the third and final time.
Tyson Fury, who recently went the distance with Ngannou in the MMA fighter’s boxing debut, was present ringside. Currently in recovery from injury, Fury is preparing to face Oleksandr Usyk on May 18.
Also Read: “Don’t Murder Him”- Fans Are Scared For Jake Paul As He Signs a Fight With Mike Tyson
Celebrities react to Francis Ngannou KO against Anthony Joshua
Francis Ngannou vs Anthony Joshua was was one of the most awaited fights of the month and a lot of eyes were especially on the former UFC heavyweight champion after his tremendous performance against the WBC champion Tyson Fury last year.
Boxing star and social media influencer Jake Paul tweeted in support of Ngannou despite his defeat and also congratulated Joshua. ”
Francis Ngannou is one of the greatest fighters of all time. “Respect due. Anthony Joshua is back. Activity & focus drives dominance.”– wrote Jake.
Former Bellator fighter Dillon Danis also jumped in to talk about Joshua vs Ngannou as he wrote, “I represented MMA better than Francis Ngannou.” It did not surprise many when ‘El Jefe’, who is know to calling out people on social media, challenged AJ, a heavyweight fighter, for a boxing fight.
I want Anthony Joshua next.
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) March 9, 2024
Controversial media personality and former kickboxer congratulated the winner in his own way as he wrote, “My G
@anthonyjoshua”
Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman spoke like a true wingman when he wrote, “Still the Baddest Mufu*ka on the planet.”
Still the Baddest Mufucka on the planet 😤
— KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) March 9, 2024
“The Predator” himself turned to social media to apologize to his fans after a shocker of a result. After the kind of grit and skill he showed against Fury, one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of his time, the boxing world kind of accepted him despite his MMA background.
Sorry guys I let you all down 😔 Today was a bad day in the office but tomorrow will be another day.
Thank you all for the love ❤️— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) March 9, 2024
However, AJ too showed that he is back and he means business. Who will he want next? Tyson Fury sounds like the biggest fight for anyone in the heavyweight division right now. But Fury is scheduled to fight Oleksandr Usyk next. Well, things have for sure gotten interesting and we will have to wait to see what conspires next.
What did you think about Anthony Joshua vs Francis Nagnnou? Do let us know in the comments.
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