Francis Ngannou Questions Joshua Fight-Week Logistics

Francis Ngannou later questioned the fight-week logistics before his March 2024 boxing match with Anthony Joshua, saying he was taken to the venue hours before the bout and felt something was wrong. His comments described his own suspicion about the schedule; they did not establish that Joshua or the organizers deliberately manipulated the contest.

What Ngannou said about the event schedule

Speaking on a July 2024 podcast, Ngannou recalled that his pickup for the Riyadh event was around 10:30 p.m., even though he expected the fight later in the night. He said the early arrival disrupted his routine and described feeling unusually tired and detached in the build-up. He raised concerns about the difference between his arrival time and Joshua’s, but did not present evidence that the logistics were intentionally arranged to affect the result.

Ngannou also acknowledged that he had no proof of deliberate wrongdoing and took responsibility for the loss. His allegation was not a verified finding of promoter misconduct.

Joshua won by second-round knockout

Joshua dropped Ngannou in the first round and stopped him with a right hand in Round 2 of their March 8, 2024 bout in Riyadh. It was Ngannou’s second professional boxing match after his close split-decision loss to Tyson Fury in October 2023. The result was a clear win for Joshua, regardless of Ngannou’s later concerns about the schedule.

Ngannou returned to MMA with the PFL in October 2024 and knocked out Renan Ferreira in the first round to win the PFL Super Fights heavyweight title. His future therefore continued in both combat-sports discussions and competition, even as his comments about the Joshua fight remained unsubstantiated allegations.

Joshua–Ngannou result: Anthony Joshua def. Francis Ngannou by KO, Round 2 — March 8, 2024, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sources

• MMA Fighting: Ngannou recounts the event logistics
• ESPN: Joshua–Ngannou fight results
• Reuters: Ngannou knocks out Ferreira in MMA return

Sources: pflmma.com

Tags

MMA, Combat Sports