The British won an early victory in the second round.
Former world heavyweight champion champion Anthony Joshua knocked out ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou in the main bout of the boxing evening, which took place on the night of March 9 in Saudi Arabia.
It was a 10-round fight according to classic boxing rules. Already in the first round, Joshua hit a powerful right hand and knocked Ngannou down.
The Cameroonian-French MMA fighter managed to get up from the canvas and continue the fight. In the second round, the Briton knocked down Francis again, and as soon as he got up, AJ knocked out his opponent with the next blow to the head.
So Thus, Joshua won his 28th victory in the professional ring (25 by knockout). The 34-year-old British boxer won his fourth fight in a row after two defeats to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk.
For 37-year-old Ngannou, this was his second boxing fight. In his previous fight, on the night of October 29, 2023, he lost by split decision to WBC heavyweight title holder Tyson Fury. In the third round, Francis knocked down the “Gypsy King,” but the judges named the Briton the winner.