If there were still any doubts about Anthony Joshua and his abilities, the British superstar was quick to dispel them on Friday. Joshua scored a thunderous KO victory over former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It took Joshua less than two rounds to finish Ngannou, scoring two knockdowns before delivering a powerful final blow.
Joshua, who previously held three of the four titles allowed in the division, sent a message to Tyson Fury, who was sitting ringside for the bout, that he was still an elite opponent. It was sent. Fury faced Ngannou last October and was knocked down for a split decision win. Joshua will wait to see how Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk unfolds before deciding his next course of action. Joshua suffered two decision losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022 and was stripped of the title.
Ngannou was not interviewed after the fight, which is more common after a fighter suffers such a devastating knockout loss, but he posted a statement on social media immediately after the fight.
“I'm sorry to have let you all down,” Ngannou said. “Today was the worst day at the office, but tomorrow will be a different day. Thank you to everyone for the love.”
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Elsewhere on the card, Joseph Parker continued his return to heavyweight title contention with a majority decision over Jirayi Zhang in the co-main event. With the win, Parker secures the interim WBO title and could potentially aim to face Fury or Usyk, although he is training partner of the 'Gypsy King'. Parker earned the nomination despite suffering two knockdowns in the match as Chan was not active enough to win the round. Additionally, Rey Vargas managed to defend his WBC featherweight title, but it was a close loss against Nick Ball. The fight between the two ended in a split draw, with the champion not losing the title.
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Match card, results
- Anthony Joshua def. Francis Ngannou, 2nd round KO win
- Joseph Parker def. Zhilei Zhang (c) by majority vote (113-113, 114-112, 115-111)
- Rey Vargas (c) vs. Nick Ball ends in a split draw (114-112, 110-115, 113-113) — vargas holds
- Israel Madrimov (c) def. Magomed Kubranov wins by 5th round TKO — Vacant WBA Super Welterweight Title
- Mark Chamberlain def. Gavin Gwynn won by 4th round TKO
