Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua. Two greats of two different fighting sports meeting on the biggest stage boxing has to offer. A fight which promised so much under the Saudi Arabian lights, and a fight that certainly delivered on its huge promise, even if it didn’t last as long as we’d all have liked.
A tough bout for the Cameroonian that unfortunately ended in an early defeat, but a show of incredible sportsmanship from both of them would dominate the headlines in the aftermath.
From the first round, it seemed clear that Ngannou wasn’t feeling too comfortable in the fight. Despite dominating and knocking down Tyson Fury, the former UFC champion couldn’t quite find his rhythm against Joshua, ultimately losing via knockout in just the second round.
Being knocked down multiple times in the fight was something no one could have foreseen, especially those paying for pay-per-view and staying up late for the fight. However, the fight didn’t end in a salty exchange as it may have done for others, but instead, the two fighters seemed to show respect towards each other.
For the MMA fighter-turned-boxer, this was an important step on his new path. Defeat has shown that he isn’t yet the complete package despite impressing against Fury, and this loss will only drive him further to compete and to win in the future.
Boxing is a completely different sport to MMA, and Ngannou shouldn’t be expected to be perfect straight away. No amount of training would give him the experience that Joshua has, and most people in the fighting scene would agree. That is no detriment to Francis Ngannou, though, who has fought tooth and nail to even be in this situation.
We are seeing someone in their fighting prime go toe-to-toe with two of the best boxers of their generation, transitioning from one completely different fighting sport to the other and not backing down. However, there is news to be excited about. Ngannou has stated that this isn’t the end of his boxing journey, and that says a lot about the pull factor that boxing is having these days.
Video: Francis Ngannou In His Dressing Room After AJ Fight
With the emergence of personalities and people from outside the boxing circle stepping into the ring, a younger audience has been attracted to the sport, one of the main reasons why events like these are now in huge demand. If people like Francis Ngannou are choosing to switch over to boxing, this could possibly be dangerous for the UFC, and maybe for boxing too. This reliance on bringing in already established stars from other fighting sports may prevent or slow the flow of young boxing talent from showing their skills to a wider audience. Not a problem for now, but definitely one that could threaten in the future.
But back to now. Anthony Joshua has just beaten Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia, one of the most highly anticipated sporting events of 2024. Francis Ngannou is a boxer, and the sport lives on, the best it has been for a long time.