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Francis Ngannou had a nagging feeling as he rose from bed on the morning of his much-anticipated clash with Anthony Joshua, a feeling that perhaps today wouldn't be his day.
The former UFC heavyweight champion squared off against AJ in a high-stakes event in Saudi Arabia bright and early on Saturday morning.
Ngannou, at 37, had electrified the world with his professional boxing debut last October, delivering a stellar performance against WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury.
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09:05 - 10.03.2024
Israel Adesanya close to tears as Anthony Joshua knocks out Francis Ngannou
See how Israel Adesanya reacted after Anthony Joshua knocked out Francs Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
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18:55 - 09.03.2024
Anthony Joshua shines at Formula One Saudi Arabia after knocking out Francis Ngannou
After knocking out Francis Ngannou, Anthony Joshua was treated like a king as he arrived at the Formula One event in Saudi Arabia.
However, his dreams were abruptly interrupted by Joshua, who sealed the deal with a second-round knockout in their Saudi showdown.
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Ngannou on losing to Joshua
In his conversation with SecondsOut, Ngannou gracefully acknowledged Joshua's victory, saying, "I'm not going to take anything away from Anthony Joshua, he did a great job.
“I think even if I was different, I think maybe things may have still been the same. But this wasn't my day. I woke up this morning and felt like this wasn't my day."
Despite enduring the first knockdowns and knockout of his 11-year-long combat sports journey, Ngannou remains resolute about his boxing career's continuation.
When asked about his future in the ring, the Cameroonian powerhouse affirmed, "Absolutely. Right now I feel like I have an obligation to continue because it owes me now. I think boxing owes me now and I really intend to collect."
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Former two-time unified heavyweight champion Joshua remains optimistic about Ngannou's prospects in boxing, suggesting that the journey is far from over for the African powerhouse.
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