Joshua vs Ngannou LIVE: Start time, undercard, results and ring walks

Steve Bunce reporting ringside in Saudi Arabia

Anthony Joshua stood at the feet of Francis Ngannou in round two of their fight in Riyadh in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Joshua just looked down, there was no merry dance of celebration or relief; it was strictly business.

Joshua had just sent Ngannou down for the third time and this time the former UFC champion was not moving. He was out cold and required medical attention in the ring.

It was the only possible result for Anthony Joshua in a fight that he had to win. It is possible that a scrappy, ugly points victory would have not helped his image. The knockout was essential.

Full piece:

Lawrence Ostlere9 March 2024 20:36

Everything you need to know ahead of Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to finally meet to decide the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

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Lawrence Ostlere9 March 2024 19:55

Joshua claims to be ‘heavyweight champion of the world’

In a quirk of traditional boxing rules, Fury’s WBC title was not on the line. However, Joshua joked Ngannou held the title on merit and that he was now the WBC’s champion.

“Francis Ngannou beat the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, I should be WBC champion of the world right now,” Joshua smiled, in an apparent dig at Fury.

Lawrence Ostlere9 March 2024 18:12

Furious Joshua accuses Fury of disrespect over ‘sausages’ row

Joshua he was also irked by comments in which Fury labelled both he and Ngannou “sausages” – especially given how close Fury was pushed by the Cameroonian boxing novice back in October.

“F**k Tyson Fury,” Joshua told iFL TV after the fight.

“I don’t like trashtalking people but I heard him say something like, ‘Oh, I’m here to do commentary about these two sausages’, or something like that. Bro, that guy that I fought, that he fought, is an ex-UFC heavyweight champion, a phenomenal story, someone who’s changed his life around. He [Fury] is just too disrespectful. So forget anything about him right now.”

Lawrence Ostlere9 March 2024 17:45

Fight report: Joshua stops Ngannou with brutal knockout in Riyadh

Joshua dropped Ngannou in round one with a clean right hand – when the ex-UFC champion went southpaw – before doing the same in round two. After Ngannou beat the referee’s count following the second knockdown, Joshua knocked the Cameroonian out cold with his very next punch, another right cross.

Full fight report:

Lawrence Ostlere9 March 2024 17:20

Joshua and Ngannou speak out after second-round knockout: ‘He did what Tyson Fury couldn’t do’

Anthony Joshua applauded Francis Ngannou during the post-fight press conference on Friday night (March 9) in a display of mutual respect.

The British boxer applauded the former UFC champion shortly after defeating him in a stunning second-round KO.

Joshua, 34, floored the former UFC champion in the first round before securing the 25th knockout of his career minutes later.

“How are you champ?” AJ asked while pulling out a seat beside him for his opponent.

Ngannou told reporters: “It wasn’t my day, he was just way better than me today.”

“He was quite special because he stopped me, he did what Tyson Fury couldn’t do,” the 37-year-old said.

Joshua interjected: “You beat Tyson, you beat him.”

Lawrence Ostlere9 March 2024 16:50

Fury responds to talk of Joshua fight

Fury added: “Yes, it goes both ways, he can do what he wants, whoever he fights, he can’t wait a year, inactivity is no good.

“After I beat Usyk, the IBF will be vacant, so maybe he can fight Hrgovic. I’m healing well, I’m not even in camp yet, I’ll go to camp at the end of March and I’ll spar then.”

Lawrence Ostlere9 March 2024 16:48

Fury responds to talk of Joshua fight

Fury has detailed the complicated road towards an eventual meeting with Joshua though, which could occur in 2025, should the former champion remain unbeaten alongside Fury defeating Usyk twice, given there is a rematch clause in their deal to fight on 18 May.

“There’s quite a long way to go, there’s always been a lot of s*** getting in the way of it,” Fury said. “I’ve got bigger fish to fry, 18 May, then we have a rematch in October. After that, if he’s still available and I’m available, let’s get it on.”

Lawrence Ostlere9 March 2024 16:15

Ngannou hails Joshua’s brutal knockout punch: ‘I didn’t feel it’

“That was a clean one,” Ngannou said of the final blow. “In fact, I didn’t feel the punch. That’s what the knockout is about. I don’t feel any pain. That’s how I know I was knocked out … It was quite special because it stopped me. It did what Tyson Fury couldn’t do. It wasn’t my day, and he’s just way better than me today. It sucks, but it’s the game, we all know that. It’s the game.”

Lawrence Ostlere9 March 2024 15:55

Joshua sends message to Fury with apparent gun gesture after Ngannou KO

Ex-UFC champion Ngannou made his boxing debut in October, dropping Fury in a shocking moment before losing a controversial decision. The Cameroonian did not come close to replicating that performance against Joshua, however, suffering a brutal second-round loss.

Briton Joshua, 34, dropped Ngannou, 37, in round one and did the same twice in round two. The final knockdown proved decisive, with Ngannou out cold on the canvas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Joshua then seemed to make a gun gesture at his preferred next target, Fury, who was sat in the front row at the Kingdom Arena.

Lawrence Ostlere9 March 2024 15:20