Ngannou had to be saved with an oxygen mask. Joshua brutally knocked out the UFC star
Alexander Frolov March 9, 2024, 05:09 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
It was really scary for the Predator.
Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou somehow quietly became a true boxing superstar. Yes, yes, now is the time that to enter the top 10 of the WBC rankings it is enough to have just one professional fight. On the other hand, the Predator had the same fight with the legendary Tyson Fury and even sent the champion to a now famous fall. Francisco failed to convince the judges of his final victory, but he still delighted the world of professional boxing and enamored the promoters.
Let’s remember that same fight
The worst fight of Fury’s career. Ngannou took him down and almost missed.
Of course, we didn’t have to wait long to see the next opponent. Anthony Joshua, an Olympic gold medal winner and former world champion in three professional categories, was selected as the opponent. The Brit was simply eager to have the most money-rich fight, something he hadn’t had since the duology with Alexander Usik. On paper, of course, Joshua looked like his favorite: his vast experience in amateur and professional boxing couldn’t even compare with one, albeit very good, fight made by Ngannou.
But Joshua has long had a notable gap: his psychological stability, to put it mildly, is far from ideal. No, this big guy won’t be intimidated at press conferences or get angry before the fight. The problems begin in the ring if the fight does not go according to the Briton’s script. As soon as Anthony faces serious problems, he starts making wrong decisions and sometimes panics. Can Joshua fight in cold blood? That was one of the main intrigues of the fight.
But the fight itself turned out to be much shorter than many would have thought. Ngannou seemed to have had a good start: he trusted the timing and tried to actively work towards the goal. But for some reason Francis began to act in a left-handed stance and soon began to miss Joshua’s strong punches. At first, the Briton knocked down his opponent with a direct blow, then he also began to receive side blows, and already in the second round, Ngannou was seriously knocked out. The former UFC champion had to be saved with an oxygen mask.
“I was on my way to the title and I had to stop thinking about this fight. When I saw him perform with Fury, I thought, “Yeah, this guy can fight.” He is a great fighter and has an inspiring story, but in boxing there is only one winner. But Ngannou can still fight in the ring,” Joshua said after the end of the fight, showing the utmost respect for his opponent.
