Francis Ngannou, known for his devastating power punches in the UFC, is still feeling the sting of his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua.
The Cameroonian fighter, accustomed to dishing out punishment, found himself on the receiving end of a brutal blow that left him in need of oxygen.
Reflecting on the experience, Ngannou acknowledged the humbling nature of defeat, recognizing that transitioning to boxing wouldn't be as smooth sailing as he initially anticipated. Despite his confidence going into the fight, he encountered difficulties leading up to the bout, feeling off-kilter and fatigued, even struggling to warm up properly in the locker room.
In a candid Instagram update to his fans, Ngannou reassured them of his well-being but emphasized the need for caution, stating,
"I was conscious right after (the KO), and since then everything's been good. I'm still going to run some medical work, just in case. Leading up to that fight, it wasn't my day. Not to say the result would have been different but it wasn't my day. At any moment of the day, I felt like I wasn't good to go. Even in the locker room, trying warm up, it wasn't going well. I was falling asleep. I was sweating but I was falling asleep. That's why I took some time out for me, some time to reflect on everything that happened to me. Heads up to Anthony Joshua, they did everything right. Heads up to my team too, we did everything properly but I didn't execute the plan because I didn't feel present."
Prior to the fight, Ngannou had been riding high on his success, banking on his punching prowess to carry him through. However, the reality of facing a top-tier opponent like Joshua proved to be a sobering experience.
Despite the setback, Ngannou walked away with a significant payday, pocketing around $25 million for the bout. While the loss may have been a tough pill to swallow, Ngannou remains determined to bounce back and learn from the experience.
As for Joshua, the victory served as a reminder of his dominance in the sport, with only potential matchups against a fully fit Tyson Fury or a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk seeming worthy of consideration at this point in his career.
Francis Ngannou's story shows the ups and downs of being an athlete. Even though losing hurts, it is by overcoming challenges that real champions are made.