Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has opened up about the "bitter taste" left by his knockout defeat to Anthony Joshua, claiming the fight was effectively lost long before he stepped into the ring in Saudi Arabia.
The Locker Room Fatigue: A Calculated Tactic?
In a candid interview ahead of Joshua's upcoming bout with Jake Paul, Ngannou did not focus on the second-round knockout in March 2024 as the primary reason for his discontent. Instead, he pinpointed a series of pre-fight events that he believes drained him of his competitive edge.
"When I think back to it now, I can honestly say I was done in the locker room," Ngannou stated. "Before I even made it to the ring I was done. I warmed up, then I had to try stay warm. I was up and down because I was there for hours."
He described feeling "so sleepy" during the extended wait, which meant when he finally entered the ring, "it was never the fight it was meant to be." Ngannou contrasted his experience with Joshua's timely arrival, suggesting his opponent's team had mastered the schedule.
Patterns of Delay and a Coach's Warning
The Cameroonian fighter revealed that his long-time coach, Dewey Cooper, grew increasingly upset during fight week over consistent delays. According to Ngannou, every time they were instructed to leave for an engagement, they would arrive on time only to be kept waiting for up to two hours.
"He was like, 'this is how you guys get a boxer tired,'" Ngannou recalled. "I didn't know that because in MMA we don't have that kind of thing. I kept saying it's okay don't worry about it, it's just a delay but Dewey knew what was going on. It had been like that the entire week."
When asked directly if he believed Anthony Joshua and his promotional team Matchroom were responsible for the tactics, Ngannou was unequivocal. "It was done on purpose. 100 per cent it was done on purpose," he asserted. He admitted his mistake was not recognising the strategy, having expected it before his fight with Tyson Fury, which never materialised.
Boxing's 'Crazy' Politics and Physical Aftermath
The experience has left the MMA crossover star wary of boxing's internal machinations. "Discovering what goes on inside boxing is eye opening," Ngannou said. "I mean obviously MMA has politics. But, boxing, the politics is crazy. It's like running for a country!"
Despite the brutal nature of the knockout, which left him motionless on the canvas, Ngannou is adamant he did not sustain a concussion. "No, I didn't get concussion. It looked worse than it was. Honestly, I think I was just tired," he explained, confirming he underwent hospital checks in Paris afterwards which cleared him.
Looking ahead, Ngannou expressed curiosity about Joshua's next move against the controversial Jake Paul this Friday in Miami. He also revealed he was briefly approached as a replacement to fight Paul himself, an offer involving "big numbers" that he ultimately declined.
Reflecting on Joshua's potential motivation for taking the Paul fight, Ngannou drew on his own experiences after losses in the UFC to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis. He suggested the British star might be seeking to "rediscover his love" for the sport after the pressure of elite competition.
For now, the scars from his introduction to boxing's inner workings remain fresh for Francis Ngannou, and the bitter taste of that night in Riyadh has yet to fade.
