Could Francis Ngannou head down a similar path to Conor McGregor? Robert Whittaker weighs in
Francis Ngannou suffered a devastating knockout defeat against Anthony Joshua on Mar. 9, the first stoppage defeat of the Cameroonian's combat sports career.
His sophomore boxing performance against Joshua was a stark contrast to the incredible showing Ngannou had when he faced Tyson Fury in 2023. The former UFC champion's defeat has questioned his future, with fans waiting to see if he will return to MMA or remain in boxing.
'The Predator' has admitted that he is unsure at this stage what his next move will be and that lack of surety is something Robert Whittaker believes could be detrimental to Ngannou's career.
'The Reaper' was recently interviewed by Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, where Whittaker pointed to Conor McGregor's trajectory after his fight with Floyd Mayweather while discussing the 37-year-old's future.
He said this:
"I don't love the way he's kind of up in the air. I think the fight game requires a certain amount of dedication, it required a certain amount of grit, of resolve, to do well in. I think that's also where we saw Conor McGregor get a little... [he] lost a bit of his edge. He started making money, started getting distracted and there were things bigger than fighting. If you're going to fight, nothing comes before that."
Watch Whittaker discuss Francis Ngannou's future below from 21:00:
Francis Ngannou reflects on his "weird" fight day against Anthony Joshua
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou headlined the much-anticipated Knockout Chaos event held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Mar. 9.
Given Ngannou's stellar performance against Tyson Fury, fans waited with bated breath for the clash between the two heavyweight stars to take place.
But Joshua utilized his superior foundational boxing skills to dominate 'The Predator' from the opening bell, knocking him down in both Round 1 and Round 2. 'AJ' then landed a thumping right hand that knocked Ngannou out cold near the end of the second round.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the Cameroonian reflected on his unusual day leading up to fight night, saying this:
"I was never in the fight. It was weird, a weird evening. I was tired, I was in the locker room for four and a half hours waiting. Even warming up, I was sweating but still getting tired. I even told Eric [Nicksick], 'Bro this is weird, I'm sweating but I feel like I'm asleep.' When the fight started, I was never there."
Watch Francis Ngannou's interview below: