- Anthony Joshua scored a stunning knockout victory against Francis Ngannou
- The British heavyweight landed a huge right hook that ended the boxing fight
- UFC chief Dana White issued a blunt assessment after the ex-UFC star’s loss
Dana White has given his reaction after former UFC star Francis Ngannou suffered a second-round knockout against Anthony Joshua as he continues his bid to transition into boxing.
Ngannou had raised expectations after an impressive boxing debut against Tyson Fury in October.
The Cameroonian sensationally defeated the WBC world heavyweight champion before losing via split decision.
However, Ngannou’s second visit to the boxing ring ended brutally when he was sent to the canvas three times by Joshua, who scored a knockout victory in the second round.
White gave a blunt assessment of Ngannou’s performance after UFC 299, suggesting the former UFC star had benefited from Fury being out of shape for his boxing debut.
Dana White has responded after former UFC star Francis Ngannou lost to Anthony Joshua
Joshua finished the bout with a knockout in the second round of the boxing fight in Riyadh
Ngannou was knocked to the canvas three times in two rounds before the fight was called off
“If Fury had trained for the fight and not turned up looking like he ate Tyson Fury, that fight probably would have ended too,” White said.
“Listen, you know how I feel about crossovers into boxing.
“That’s how they end, just like that.”
Ngannou left the UFC last January despite reportedly turning down an offer that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight of all time.
The fighter was released by the promotion and stripped of his heavyweight belt after making the decision not to renew his contract with the promotion.
Ngannou now has two cash-rich heavyweight fights under his belt since entering boxing, but the nature of his loss to Joshua has raised doubts about whether he can pull off a successful crossover.
The 37-year-old was put to the canvas by Joshua with around a minute left in the round, beating the count to nine and getting back to his feet to see out the final 40 seconds.
However, when he was knocked down again in the second round, there seemed little chance of Ngannou continuing, and after getting back to his feet he was quickly taken out by a big right hand to end the match in Joshua’s advantage.
Ngannou had higher expectations after knocking down Tyson Fury in his boxing debut
White claimed that Ngannou would have suffered the same fate had Fury been in good condition
Ngannou required oxygen in the ring as he was attended to by medics in the immediate aftermath, before recovering and being able to leave the ring unaided.
Despite the brutal nature of his loss to Joshua, Ngannou insisted he would continue to pursue success in the ring.
“You can bet I’m not done here yet,” Ngannou said after the fight.
‘It wasn’t my day, he was much better than me today.
“It sucks, but it’s the game. We all know that.’
Joshua has also offered his support for Ngannou to continue boxing.
“You are an inspiration,” Joshua said.
“You’ll beat a lot of people. Don’t leave boxing. Don’t leave boxing.
“If you need anything, let me know, but we’ll talk another time.”