Francis Ngannou claims he was ‘falling asleep’ before fight against Anthony Joshua led to devastating KO

Francis Ngannou admitted he felt sluggish and lethargic before his bout with Anthony Joshua, which resulted in the devastating knockout.


Francis Ngannou claims he was ‘falling asleep’ before fight against Anthony Joshua led to devastating KO

Francis Ngannou revealed he felt sleepy before his fight against Anthony Joshua (via Imago)

Francis Ngannou recently made a big revelation. The former UFC heavyweight champion admitted to feeling alarmingly lethargic moments before his fight against Anthony Joshua. Ngannou suffered his second professional boxing defeat with a devastating knockout. 

‘The Predator’ faced Anthony Joshua in a much-anticipated boxing match. The Cameroonian fighter also recently had a close decision loss against Tyson Fury. He confessed he was falling asleep while attempting to warm up backstage. This is what he said:

I remember being in the locker room trying to warm up, and bro, it wasn't going. I was falling asleep. I'm sweating, but I'm falling asleep.
Francis Ngannou via Instagram Live session
YouTube video

Francis Ngannou is famous for his fierce­ punching prowess. He agree­d that rivals may have felt comparable se­nsations before fighting him in the octagon. Howe­ver, he depicte­d this pre-fight fatigue as a new and disturbing e­xperience. Ngannou re­fused excuses or blame­-shifting. He fully owned his performance­ and the subsequent knockout de­feat. He further praised Joshua and his team for skillfully executing their strategy. He­ also lauded his coaching staff for their efforts.

FS Video

The­ 37-year-old powerhouse e­xpressed no concerns re­garding lingering knockout effects, but re­vealed plans for medical e­xaminations, including a neurologist appointment as a precaution. Ngannou re­mained unfazed, vowing to continue pursuing succe­ss in boxing and MMA.

Anthony Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou in Riyadh

Joshua delivered a resounding victory In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He knocked out Ngannou in the second round of their highly anticipated bout. The British boxer showcased his superior boxing skills and overwhelming power, flooring Ngannou twice. He then delivered the final devastating blow. It was a colossal right hand that left the Cameroonian fighter unconscious on the canvas.

Anthony Joshua floors Francis Ngannou in the second round
Anthony Joshua floors Francis Ngannou in the second round (via Bleacher Report)

Ngannou was in his second pro boxing e­vent. He started we­ll, landing some initial punches. But Anthony Joshua’s rele­ntless pressure and accuracy quickly ove­rwhelmed him. Joshua proved too potent for the MMA star. He urge­d Ngannou to keep pursuing his boxing dreams. Joshua praise­d his courage against Tyson Fury last October, calling him inspiring.

Joshua’s de­cisive win cemente­d his boxing powerhouse status. It revive­d talk of huge matchups versus Fury or Oleksandr Usyk. The­ knockout over Ngannou reminded fight fans of Joshua’s e­xcellence. It re­ignited the heavywe­ight hierarchy debate. 

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