Francis Ngannou, the ex-UFC heavyweight champion, faced Anthony Joshua in a high-stakes event in Saudi Arabia bright and early on a Saturday morning.
Ngannou, aged 37, had captivated the world with his professional boxing debut the previous October, delivering an outstanding performance against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Anthony Joshua defeats Francis Ngannou
However, his aspirations were abruptly halted by Joshua, who secured victory with a second-round knockout in their Saudi showdown. Speaking with SecondsOut, Ngannou gracefully conceded to Joshua’s triumph.
“I’m not going to take anything away from Anthony Joshua, he did a great job.
“I think even if I was different, I think maybe things may have still been the same. But this wasn’t my day. I woke up this morning and felt like this wasn’t my day.”
When questioned about his future in the ring after enduring his first knockdowns and knockouts in his 11-year-long combat sports journey, Ngannou remains resolute about continuing his boxing career.
“Absolutely. Right now I feel like I have an obligation to continue because it owes me now. I think boxing owes me now and I really intend to collect.”
Joshua’s advice to Ngannou
Former two-time unified heavyweight champion Joshua maintains optimism regarding Ngannou’s prospects in boxing, indicating that the journey for the African powerhouse is far from complete.
