UFC

FRANCIS NGANNOU made a worrying admission after being brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua.AJ finished the ex-UFC champion in two rounds following three knockdowns and one final ruthless right hand.Francis Ngannou made a worrying admission after being knocked out by Anthony JoshuaCredit: GettyNgannou, 37, was left needing oxygen following the finishing shot and has now revealed he has no memory of the KO. He said on The MMA Hour: “When the fight started, I was never there. “Even the first minute, I remember when I get hit, the first punch, I was more surprised about the fact that I’m falling down from that punch than the punch itself. “You know, sometimes even in sparring, you take some punch and you’re like, ‘Damn, this guy hit hard,’ but you’re all right.READ MORE IN BOXING”I take a punch, the first punch, I was awake, but I didn’t really feel it. I find myself down, I’m like, ‘Man, what’s going on?’ “I’m being counted, so, okay, let’s take your time to get back up.’ Take my time, get back up, and things were still a little blurry.”I went to the corner, and we started to talk, and they were talking to me, I was listening. “My memory and my vision and everything kept going. I never came back from the stool. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”I don’t remember from when I came back from the stool to go back to the second round.”From there from the stool in between the round, I wasn’t there anymore.”Oleksandr Usyk grimaces as he watches Anthony Joshua’s brutal KO of Francis Ngannou Ngannou – who was still having medical checks a WEEK after the KO – put his MMA career on hold to make a switch to boxing. He faced Tyson Fury, 35, on his debut, even scoring a knockdown, before losing a controversial split-decision. But his compressive defeat to Joshua, 34, leaves his boxing future in doubt amid talk of a return to MMA. Ngannou was knocked out in two rounds by AJCredit: Getty More

FRANCIS NGANNOU revealed he was still having medical tests a week after his brutal knockout loss to Anthony Joshua. AJ finished the ex-UFC champion in two rounds following three knockdowns and one final ruthless right hand.Francis Ngannou revealed he was still having medical tests a week after his KO to Anthony JoshuaCredit: ReutersNgannou was left needing oxygen following the finishing shot but spoke out on Instagram Live a week later to give fans an update. He said: “I was conscious right after (the KO), and since then everything’s been good. I’m still going to run some medical work, just in case.”Ngannou, 37, had dropped Tyson Fury on his boxing debut only to lose a controversial split-decision in October. But Joshua, 34, helped restore order in the ring just five months later with his emphatic finish. READ MORE IN BOXINGNgannou – now 0-2 as a boxer – revealed he was “falling asleep” while warming up to fight AJ as the bout did not start till 3am in Saudi Arabia. He said: “Leading up to that fight, it wasn’t my day.”Not to say the result would have been different but it wasn’t my day. At any moment of the day, I felt like I wasn’t good to go.“Even in the locker room, trying warm up, it wasn’t going well. I was falling asleep. I was sweating but I was falling asleep. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”That’s why I took some time out for me, some time to reflect on everything that happened to me.“Heads up to Anthony Joshua, they did everything right. Heads up to my team too, we did everything properly but I didn’t execute the plan because I didn’t feel present.”Oleksandr Usyk grimaces as he watches Anthony Joshua’s brutal KO of Francis Ngannou Ngannou walked out on the UFC and put his MMA career on hold to make the lucrative switch to boxing – which ultimately banked him around £20million. He instead signed for the Professional Fighters League but insisted his business in boxing is not yet over. Ngannou said: “I am not done yet. The only thing missing here was time.”I will take some time for myself to chill, then come back to training to get ready for another challenge.”Joshua knocked Ngannou out in round twoCredit: Getty More

AMIR KHAN has warned Conor McGregor against a return – fearing the UFC legend could get himself hurt. McGregor has been left frustrated as talks for his comeback – set to be against Michael Chandler – continue to drag.Boxing legends Mike Tyson and Amir Khan with Conor McGregorCredit: @amirkingkhanHe has been out of action since July 2021 after brutally breaking his leg in the first round of his bout with Dustin Poirier. More recently, McGregor has been celebrating the release of his movie debut, starring alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in a reboot of Road House. And he has enjoyed boozy nights out to promote the movie with his UFC return seemingly in more doubt than ever. It leaves Khan, 37, telling Gambling Zone: “One hundred per cent McGregor’s hunger has died, you can see it. READ MORE IN UFC”He might do a training session but then he’s more chilling, galavanting and enjoying himself than he is killing himself in the gym. “That focus and fire in his eyes is gone. But he’s probably in the same boat as me, people only see him as a fighter and he wants to fight for the people and put on a good show. “But that’s when you get hurt or have a bad performance, that’s when you realise this isn’t for me anymore. McGregor, 34, is the UFC’s highest-paid star of all time and has made well over £200MILLION in and out of the cage. Most read in BoxingCHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVAL So Khan – who claimed to have earned £60m himself in boxing – knows all too well about running out of motivation. He said: “Fighters that make big money like Conor McGregor and myself, we start thinking towards the end of our careers ‘we don’t need this anymore’ and we start to question whether we still want to be in those hard training camps, do we still want to be punched? Conor McGregor reveals exact date for UFC comeback after three years out of cage “McGregor has got everything in the palm of his hands; the yacht, the house, his wife. “He’s financially strong like myself, so you think, ‘do I need this’?. Shall I stay in bed and chill or get punched in the head? “I was a totally different fighter in my twenties than in my thirties because I was happy and financially strong in my thirties, I made enough money and the hunger died. McGregor has not fought since 2021Credit: @TheNotoriousMMA More

UFC icon Demetrious Johnson has stunningly claimed Anthony Joshua could beat Francis Ngannou in a mixed martial arts match.AJ potentially ended the former UFC heavyweight champion’s foray into boxing last week with a brutal knockout in their crossover clash in Saudi Arabia.Francis Ngannou fought Anthony Joshua in a lucrative Saudi showdown last weekCredit: REUTERSNgannou was brutally knocked out by AJ in the second round of their Riyad rumbleCredit: GETTYEx-UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson fancies AJ’s chances against Ngannou in an MMA fightCredit: GETTYIt took the Watford warrior less than two rounds to separate the MMA superstar from consciousness in their lucrative Riyad rumble.And after having seen the manner in which he dispatched of Ngannou, Johnson believes Joshua could have similar success inside the cage – provided The Predator tries to solely stand with him again.The former long-reigning UFC flyweight king said on his YouTube channel: “Does Anthony Joshua beat Francis Ngannou in an MMA fight? I think he does.“It would just be another striking match. AJ understands his distance. He understands the void.READ MORE IN BOXING”He has better hands than Francis, and he can make Francis even whiff and miss again.”Unless Francis is going to change his tactic and go clinch him and wrestle him. But AJ is very athletic.”He is smaller, he’s more limber. I think he’d be able to stuff the shot and be able to give it to Francis Ngannou.”Ngannou, 37, shone in his professional boxing debut last October against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThe Cameroonian clubber cut and dropped The Gypsy King in the third round of their clash, which he lost via split decision.Johnson, like many others, was blown away by Ngannou’s display that nigt but believes he showed all his cards against the Brit.Tyson Fury hits back at Eddie Hearn’s claims Anthony Joshua is best heavyweight in world and vows to make fight happenHe said: “Another thing that could have been Francis’ downfall was he had that boxing match with Tyson Fury.”So Anthony Joshua got an opportunity to see Francis fight boxing.”What he took from the boxing match on Francis vs. Tyson? He probably took, ‘Okay, Francis doesn’t move his head.”He doesn’t really move his head. He’s not very light on his feet,’ where Tyson Fury, he’s kind of light on his feet, and Tyson’s trying to avoid the fight.”This time, Anthony Joshua got right to work right off the bat, and that’s usually not a good sign if the other opponent doesn’t respond.”Ngannou cut a devastated and forlorn figure after the loss but is adamant his journey is far from over.He told SecondsOut: “Absolutely [I still plan to box].READ MORE SUN STORIES”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.”Francis Ngannou insists he won’t be walking away from boxingCredit: REUTERS More