RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Anthony Joshua offered an uplifting message to Francis Ngannou after brutally knocking him out in their boxing match, and hopes the former UFC champ sticks to competing in the ring.
“Don’t let this discourage you,” Joshua told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight on Friday. “Don’t let success get to your head, and you should never let failures get to your heart. I think he’s an asset to boxing. I think he’s an asset to the fight game. Don’t be discouraged, and I respect you regardless. I said it before, and I still stand on it. I know we had to fight, but I just told him, ‘Keep your head high.'”
Joshua put on a dominant display at Kingdom Arena when he knocked down Ngannou in the opening round of their heavyweight bout. He kept the pressure in the second frame, scoring another knockdown before dropping Ngannou for a third and final time in devastating fashion.
