The second attempt did not have the charm of the first. A little over four months after knocking out Tyson Fury, mixed martial arts (MMA) star Francis Ngannou was no match this time, Saturday June 9 in Riyadh, against Anthony Joshua.
The British boxer quickly dispatched the 37-year-old former UFC heavyweight champion, who was declared a knockout in the second round. Despite this express victory, Joshua had words of encouragement for the Franco-Cameroonian. “You are an inspiration, don’t quit boxing. If you need anything, we’ll talk about it later,” he whispered in her ear as soon as the fight was over.
Francis Ngannou came very close to the feat for his debut in English boxing on October 29 by sending Tyson Fury, WBC heavyweight champion and overwhelming favorite, to the mat in the third round and shaking up the “Gipsy King” like never before. Even though he lost in a split - and controversial - decision by the judges, he won the respect of the combat sports world, living up to his reputation as a dangerous puncher.
Tyson Fury and Ronaldo present at ringside
“When I saw his fight against Tyson Fury, I said to myself: “I want my part too”. He is a great champion and that does not take away from his abilities. He’s two fights in and he’s faced the best,” said Anthony Joshua.
Tyson Fury, unrecognizable and seemingly out of shape in October, had undoubtedly underestimated Ngannou. Anthony Joshua was warned and had obviously not taken his opponent lightly.
The two boxers made their entrance on stage around 3:20 a.m. local time to the sound of the voice of iconic boxing announcer Michael Buffer, and under the eyes of a panel of boxing stars, including Manny Pacquiao and Tyson Fury himself. even, and football like the former Brazilian player Ronaldo or the Portuguese coach José Mourinho.
Sent to the mat several times
While we could expect an observation round in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the new stronghold of boxing, the fight started at a high pace from the first exchanges. Sent to the ground in the first round with a powerful straight right hit in the jaw, Ngannou was unable to respond against a stronger and more technical Joshua. Things only got worse and he then suffered two more knockdowns during the second round.
The third was too much and Ngannou collapsed with his whole body, leading the referee to put an end to hostilities. Lying on his back for some time, he had to receive medical attention inside the ring before being escorted back to his stool.
With this second foray into a ring, Ngannou pursued his dream of becoming English boxing champion. But he is now set to make his return to the MMA cages with a fight scheduled for 2024 against PFL champion Renan Ferreira.
At 34, Anthony Joshua, for his part, now has 28 victories in 31 fights, the fourth in a row, and is back in the hierarchy of the heavyweight category. He now hopes to face in his next fight the winner of the clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk who face each other in May for the unified heavyweight title.
