Francis Ngannou can't remember Anthony Joshua punch which knocked him out cold

09 March 2024 , 07:15

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Anthony Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou in the second round

Francis Ngannou admitted he "didn't feel the punch" that saw him knocked out in the second round against Anthony Joshua.

The Cameroonian was sparked out for the first time in his professional career, be that in UFC or boxing, as the Englishman secured a dominant victory in Saudi Arabia. Ngannou has stepped into the boxing world after a successful career in the octagon.

He floored Tyson Fury in his first fight, before going on to lose controversially on points. Ngannou's efforts though led some to suggest he could cause serious problems for Joshua, but the former heavyweight champion quickly but those to bed. The 37-year-old was full of praise for his opponent after his knockout.

Ngannou said: "[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."

Fury was in attendance in Saudi as Joshua recorded his fourth victory in less than a year. Attention now turns to what both Joshua and Ngannou will do next as the latter retains hopes of becoming a world champion in boxing following his switch from the UFC.

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Joshua, however, dealt Ngannou a harsh lesson about heavyweight boxing as the Watford-born fighter knocked his opponent down to the canvas on three occasions despite their bout only lasting two rounds.

Ngannou insisted, despite a second defeat in boxing, that he's not going anywhere: "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."

The former UFC star admits he didn't feel the knockout blow

Joshua encouraged Ngannou to stick around having taken on two of the sport's biggest names: "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."

Ngannou left the UFC last year to pursue his boxing ambitions, but signed with rivals the PFL last May. Part of his deal with the PFL allowed him the freedom to fight in the boxing ring but the Cameroonian is now likely to make a return to MMA rather than compete in another boxing match. Ngannou has not fought in the UFC since January 2022, when he beat Frenchman Ciryl Gane.

UFC chief Dana White previously hit out at Ngannou, claiming he wanted no risk fights. He said: "Francis wants to take zero risks, doesn't want to take any chances, and he obviously 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."

Samuel Meade