Francis Ngannou can’t say for certain if Anthony Joshua hit him harder than anyone else in his career – he honestly doesn’t remember it.
The former heavyweight champion of the UFC talked about his shocking Friday knockout loss to Anthony Joshua. In just two rounds, he was knocked down three times, and the final blow put him out cold.
Joshua Lunched a Quick Right Hand
Jerrymusa.com reports that Joshua launched an overhand right at him, knocking him out before he ever hit the floor.
During the post-fight press conference, Ngannou described the knockout blow as “a clean one.”
“I was not aware of the punch. That is the purpose of the knockout. I’m not in any pain. I can’t tell I was knocked out because of that.”
When the knockout hit, Ngannou lay down for a few minutes before getting up with the help of some oxygen.
Later, he apologised on social media, writing “I apologise, I let you all down.” He described his loss as “a bad day in the office” as well.
Minutes later, Ngannou was thinking back on the defeat and complimenting Joshua on a job well done. Joshua was calm in the first round and didn’t give up until the very end.
Throughout the whole battle, Joshua’s right hand caused Ngannou issues; all three of his knockdowns, including the last blow, came from that side.
Ngannou remarked, “It was quite special, because it stopped me, It achieved what Tyson Fury was unable to.”
“He’s just so much better than me today, and it wasn’t my day. We all realise that’s just the game, even though it hurts. It’s the match.”
Ngannou now stands 0-2 in his boxing career, but losing to Joshua doesn’t mean he has fewer choices going forward.
Joshua urged him to continue boxing as soon as the bout ended, and he repeated those remarks when they shared the platform at the press conference that followed.
Before the defeat, Ngannou was hoping to have another shot at Tyson Fury after their first fight ended in a tight decision. It’s still unclear if that will happen.
Ngannou may also go up against fellow knockout artist Deontay Wilder; following the former UFC heavyweight champion’s move to boxing, the two talked about a prospective matchup.