Anthony Joshua’s Brutally Knocks Out Francis Ngannou

Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou faced off in a high-profile boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Friday night. It’s safe to say, Joshua proved Ngannou should go back to mixed martial arts.

Joshua dominated Ngannou, knocking him down in the first round, again early in the second, then followed that up by knocking him out cold. It was a thoroughly dominant performance from the former heavyweight champion.

Here’s the first round knockdown that came from a big right hand:

And here’s the knockout that came from a huge overhand right, just after Ngannou got off the canvas:

Here’s ringside video of the entire second round sequence:

Just a savage beating from the man who owned the WBA (super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles before losing them in a decision against Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, then failing to earn them back from him in 2022. Since then, Joshua is 4-0 and appears ready for another shot at the title, or a long-awaited bout against Tyson Fury.

Back in October, Ngannou surprised many in attendance when he held his own against Fury. He lost a controversial split decision (95-94, 96-93, 94-95), despite knocking Fury down in the third round. It was a fascinating bout.

He didn’t have it against Joshua. The 37-year-old Ngannou had won UFC six fights in a row and claimed the heavyweight title (and defended it once) when a contract dispute saw him leave the organization in early 2023. He is set to return to MMA and will face Renan Ferreira sometime this year.