"I can't really put it into words" - Kamaru Usman reacts to Francis Ngannou's brutal KO loss, hails "outstanding professional" Anthony Joshua
Kamaru Usman recently shared his thoughts on Francis Ngannou's recent knockout loss.
Along with Israel Adesanya and Usman, Ngannou formed the trio of the first African-born UFC champions in history. Their African lineage was a big part of the story and helped expand the UFC's geographic footprint in the continent.
The African fighters also share close personal relationships and have extended support to each other through the ups and downs of their combat sports careers.
On March 8, Ngannou lost to former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua via second-round knockout. This was the first KO loss of Ngannou's career and halted his march toward a potential title shot in boxing.
During the recent episode of Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry podcast, Usman shared his thoughts on Ngannou's loss, saying:
"It was a really, really tough one to watch. Yeah, it's a tough one. I can't really put it in the words. But I think you can always point to different things that might have played a factor here and there but the result, it is what it is. It was a hard one watching my brother go down like that."
The former UFC welterweight champion further highlighted that loss is inevitable in combat sports, especially if an athlete competes for a long time.
He appreciated Joshua for his performance and professional conduct before and after the fight, saying:
“But props to Anthony Joshua. Anthony Joshua handled himself as an outstanding professional. He showed what it is to be a technical boxer. Because I think, to date, people can say whatever they want to say about him, about Francis, but I do honestly believe that is Anthony Joshua's best performance as a boxer yet!”
Catch Kamaru Usman's reaction below (0:40):
Francis Ngannou gives heartwarming reaction after knockout loss to Anthony Joshua
Francis Ngannou gained notoriety in boxing when he gave WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury a run for the money in his debut last October. Although he lost the fight by split decision, he came close to knocking Fury out in the fight.
A large section of the combat sports community expected Ngannou to perform even better against Anthony Joshua. However, 'AJ' scored a decisive knockout victory, which has prompted many people to believe that Ngannou's performance against Fury was a fluke.
However, 'The Predator' is not discouraged after the setback. He promised to come back stronger in an Instagram post:
"Sorry guys I let you all down 😔 Today was a bad day in the office but tomorrow will be another day."