British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua has dealt his Cameroonian opponent Francis Ngannou a second-round knockout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Joshua proved too strong for Ngannou, a former UFC champion, in their highly-anticipated match early Saturday.
Ngannou entered the bout with the aura of his impressive debut against Tyson Fury back in November 2023.
The Cameroonian started strong, threatening with his left hook and a looping right.
However, Joshua countered with a devastating straight right in the opening round, sending Ngannou crashing to the canvas.
The second round saw both fighters swinging wildly.
Joshua was more deliberate with his punches and it didn’t take too long before he unleashed another powerful right, sending Ngannou down for the second time.
The resilient Ngannou rose again, but Joshua wouldn’t be denied.
He marched forward and unleashed a final right hand that emphatically knocked Ngannou unconscious.
This is Joshua’s fourth consecutive win in his charge for the heavyweight title after suffering back-to-back losses.
With this win, the 34-year-old positions himself for a potential future clash with the victor of the upcoming unification – the WBA, IBF and WBO champion – bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
The rearranged May 18 bout between Oleksandr and Fury will crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 2000.
