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Check out Anthony Joshua’s epic one-punch KO over Francis Ngannou RIGHT HERE!

Francis Ngannou is healthy and in good spirits following a devasting knockout loss at the hands of Anthony Joshua earlier tonight (Fri., March 8, 2024) LIVE on DAZN pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was one of the most vicious knockouts you might ever see.

In fact, the MMA community was praying for Ngannou’s health after the fight. At least Ngannou banked $ 20 million for the loss.

Ngannou, who looked good in his boxing debut against Tyson Fury last October, was scoring some good left hooks in the early going of Friday’s main event. However, once Joshua got his timing his right hand started to fly and Ngannou had nowhere to go. After Joshua claimed a knockdown in the first round he followed that up with two more in the second. The final one left Ngannou unconscious looking up at the ceiling of the Kingdom Arena.

The oddsmakers may had pegged Joshua as the betting favorite against Ngannou, but few thought the fight would end this quickly and in such a cruel fashion. Luckily, Ngannou was able to make it back to his feet and walk around the ring following the gnarly knockout loss. About an hour later he took to social media to offer his first statement and let fight fans know he will return.

“Sorry guys I let you all down. Today was a bad day in the office but tomorrow will be another day. Thank you all for the love,” wrote Ngannou.

For complete Ngannou vs. Joshua results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.

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Anthony Joshua delivered one of the most violent knockouts in recent memory when he put former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou down and out in the second round in their showdown in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

It was a disastrous night for Ngannou after he nearly scored an upset over Tyson Fury in his professional boxing debut but his second appearance in the ring went sideways in a hurry. Despite showing confidence early, Ngannou got put down in the opening round with a straight right hand from Joshua.

Things only got worse from there with Joshua connecting with another stiff right midway through the second round that dropped Ngannou again. The Cameroon native got back to his feet but his night was over just moments later.

With Ngannou still wobbled, Joshua surged forward as he uncorked a hellacious overhand right that landed clean. Ngannou was out before he hit the canvas as he folded up and hit the ground with the referee immediately waving off the fight.

The end came at 2:38 in the second round.

“It is what it is,” Joshua said about his thunderous right hand that knocked out Ngannou. “He’s an inspiration so we wanted to welcome him, we broke bread together. He’s great champion. This doesn’t take anything away from his capabilities. He can come again. I told him he shouldn’t leave boxing.”

Ngannou stayed motionless on the canvas for a few minutes after the knockout before he eventually sat up to receive some oxygen from the ringside physicians. He got back to his feet to shake hands and share a moment with Joshua before the result was announced but Ngannou left the ring without speaking afterwards.

Sadly, Ngannou’s second foray into boxing ended dramatically different than the first.

Despite his relative nativity to the sport, Ngannou actually looked more comfortable when the fight with Joshua started as he measured his punches and even switched to a southpaw stance early in the opening round. Just when it looked like Ngannou was settling into a rhythm, Joshua putting him down with the straight punch that obviously caught him off guard.

Ngannou nearly took the full 10 count to get back to his feet and time ran out in the round before Joshua could dish out any more damage.

As the second round got underway, Joshua seemed to know that his right hand couldn’t miss and Ngannou just couldn’t track that shot coming at him. The second knockdown followed with another right snapping Ngannou’s head back and putting him on the canvas.

Once he got back up again, Ngannou was living on borrowed time until Joshua unleashed the overhand right that ended the fight in stunning fashion. Replays showed Ngannou’s legs folding underneath him as he fell unconscious to the ground with Joshua celebrating his victory.

He once called the matchup nothing more than a gimmick fight but Joshua paid homage to Ngannou for stepping into his world and showing he belonged there, especially after he took Fury to a razor-close decision. Joshua will now keep a close eye on the upcoming fight between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk with hopes that he might get the winner before the year is over.

“I’m just here to fight,” Joshua said. “I’m going back to my cage and wait and be let out when it’s time to fight. I just want to fight.”

As for Ngannou, it’s a tough end to a remarkable six-month run that started with signing to fight Fury and then ending with the knockout loss to Joshua. It’s tough to predict what he’ll do next, although a return to MMA seems most likely with Renan Ferreira awaiting a chance to face Ngannou in the PFL.

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Mixed martial arts fighters have been warned against pursuing further crossover boxing fights in the future – in the immediate aftermath of former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou’s brutal one-punch KO loss to boxing star, Anthony Joshua inside two rounds in Saudi Arabia tonight.

Ngannou, a former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, headlined a ‘Knockout Chaos’ billed card tonight in the Middle East against former two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic star, Joshua, in just his second professional boxing match.

And suffering his second consecutive loss following a controversial decision defeat to Tyson Fury last August, Ngannou was finished in devastating fashion by Joshua – who flattened the Cameroonian with a hellacious KO in the second round.

Dropped in the first frame after switching to southpaw, Ngannou was immediately met flush with a straight right shot, sending him to the canvas.

Anthony Joshua flattens Francis Ngannou in Riyadh

And dropped twice in quick succession in the next round, Ngannou was immediately with a right hand from the bleachers from Joshua after a standing eight count, sending him folded to the canvas once more, this time for good.

Reacting to Ngannou’s stunning knockout loss in Riyadh tonight, a host of boxing stars and fighters urged mixed martial arts competitors to avoid further ventures to the squared circle in the future – as well as heralding Joshua’s performance.

“Let this be A BIG WARNING to MMA fighters!!” Ryan Garcia posted on X. “Stop coming to boxing it will only get worst (sic). IT’s more vent if we just go to your sport! OVER! ONE PUNCH. Sending healing prayers to FRANCIS! Your bravery and guys should be commendable. CONGRATULATIONS Anthony Joshua.” 

“Still the baddest muf*cka on the planet,” Kamaru Usman posted. 

“The Drake curse continues,” UFC alum Paige VanZant posted on X.

“I told y’all,” Badou Jack posted on social media.

“NOW THAT WAS FOR BOXING,” Shawn Porter shared on X.

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Sean O’Malley and Chito Vera had one last verbal run-in before they step into the octagon for UFC 299, and after their final faceoff, they competed for the love of the crowd at Miami’s Caseya Center.

Vera got an early pop from a vocal section of his fans, hyping up his first bantamweight title shot in a rematch four years in the making against O’Malley.

“I’m extremely grateful,” Vera said. “I’m happy to be here. I’m ready. I’m going to make the people proud. I’m f****** ready. I love you. Ecuador, [let’s go!]”

O’Malley, who makes the first defense of the bantamweight title, got a healthy response with another barb at Vera. He then played to his ceremonial interviewer, UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

“Miami, you guys are f****** incredible,” O’Malley said. “Who wants to see me knock Chito the f*** out? I f****** love you, Joe Rogan.”

O’Malley and Vera headline the ESPN+ pay-per-view portion of Saturday’s fight card. The full staredown from the main event at the ceremonial weigh-ins can be seen above.

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The fighters competing on Saturday’s UFC 299 fight card took part in the event’s ceremonial weigh-in on Friday in Miami, Florida.  

The event is headlined by a bantamweight title rematch between champion Sean O’Malley and Marlon “Chito” Vera. In their first meeting, Vera handed O’Malley his first and only career loss finishing “Sugar” in the first round. O’Malley seeks to avenge the loss on Saturday at the Kaseya Center.

In the co-main event, former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier takes on Benoit Saint Denis. Michael “Venom” Page makes his promotional debut in a welterweight bout against Kevin Holland, and more.

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