"I've never been in that situation" - Francis Ngannou discusses his worries after receiving final "violent" punch against Anthony Joshua
Francis Ngannou recently voiced his apprehensions regarding the decisive punch delivered by Anthony Joshua during their fight.
The former UFC heavyweight champion came remarkably close to orchestrating one of boxing's most unexpected upsets against Tyson Fury in his debut in the squared circle last October.
However, earlier this month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ngannou's second venture into the squared circle proved catastrophic, as he suffered a brutal knockout at the hands of 'AJ' in the second round after enduring two knockdowns prior to that.
During his recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, 'The Predator' disclosed that following his knockout defeat, he underwent extensive medical examinations out of concern for potential repercussions. He said:
"I'm feeling good, but I did get some medical checks, and everything is okay. I didn't feel like getting any concussion, in fact, I just went to the hospital to double check in case because I've never been in that situation, and the last punch was quite violent."
Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below (0:58):
In the initial round, Joshua managed to floor Ngannou after the Cameroonian switched his stance to southpaw. By the second round, the former two-time heavyweight champion had ample time to set his feet, size up his target and release a fierce overhand right that connected with 'The Predator's' temple with such impact that he started to lose consciousness as he fell to the mat. In a matter of seconds, Ngannou found himself lying flat on his back.
Francis Ngannou alleges deception leading up to Anthony Joshua bout
Francis Ngannou recently voiced his frustration regarding the delayed start time of his bout against Anthony Joshua, suggesting it negatively impacted his performance. Expressing his discontent, 'The Predator' claimed that he felt deceived as he endured hours of waiting in the dressing room.
In the same interview with Ariel Helwani, 'The Predator' emphasized that he was called to the Kingdom Arena several hours earlier than his opponent:
"Listen, I think we both fight at 3 AM. It's not like I fought at 3 AM and he fought at like midnight or something. We both fought at 3 AM. What I think is something that's happened is that they get me to the arena very early. Like my pickup time was 10:30 PM to go to the arena. And then when we get to the arena, they tell us that we are scheduled around 1: 45 AM. right? [5:21]