Even before Francis Ngannou’s seismic frame had fully unfurled on the mat, referee Ricky Gonzalez was frantically waving his arms in panic. After just five minutes of action, the former UFC champion was knocked out by Anthony Joshua, and it looks like his boxing career is coming to an end after five months.
All Joshua(28-3, 25KOs) a 34-year old boxer from England accomplished on Friday in Riyadh was to simplify Ngannou to what he is—a boxing novice—by viewing him through a particular lens. That truth was refuted by Ngannou’s incredible performance against Tyson Fury in October, when he not only stopped the undefeated champion but also outboxed him for the better part of ten rounds. It also increased anticipation for his second boxing matchup with a rival many fans and commentators thought was more hittable than Fury.
