Francis Ngannou has learned his fate in the WBC rankings following his savage knockout loss versus Anthony Joshua as he dropped down 14 places following his brutal defeat. The Cameroonian came into the bout against the Brit boasting a burgeoning reputation after causing Tyson Fury a scare on his boxing bow.
His performance versus ‘the Gypsy King’ in Saudi Arabia last year saw him go the distance in an entertaining spectacle as he eventually lost on a split points decision. The call from the judges on the night proved controversial, especially after Ngannou knocked down his opponent early in the bout.
Even if he had lost the battle in Riyadh, he very much won the war as his showing earned him a ranking of No. 10 in the WBC rankings – alongside a glamour bout with Joshua. However, despite expectations that he could spring a surprise in his second foray into the ring as a professional, the former world heavyweight champion showed his class to dispatch of his challenger in style.
Emerging victorious, Joshua left Ngannou sprawling on the canvas with a savage blow by executing a memorable second-round knockout. Now, the fallout from his defeat has meant that the 27-year-old MMA legend has now plummeted down the WBC rankings to No. 24.
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Conversely, the triumphant Joshua is now the best ranked fighter in the weight division, with competitors Frank Sanchez, Agit Kabayel, Efe Ajagba and Jared Anderson trailing him. Despite providing a masterclass to defeat Ngannou in his most recent outing, it was clear that ‘AJ’ was eager to encourage his peer to keep the faith in his ability.
Firing some kind words the way of the man he had sent sprawling just moments before, Joshua was magnanimous as he revealed his admiration for his adversary on the night. He admitted: “You’re an inspiration. You’d beat a lot of people. Don’t leave boxing – don’t leave. Dewey [Cooper, Ngannou’s head coach] – don’t leave boxing, you know. This guy is the truth.”
The defeated ace appeared in no mood to entertain the charm offensive from Joshua, though, as he admitted: “Right now, I don’t know exactly what fight I’ll be looking for next,’ he said. I know that I’m going to take some time to rest up, focus on myself.”
“Then when I’m ready, I will get back to training,” he continued, as he appeared to talk himself into sticking at it. “It’s not over yet – not at all, We’re just getting started. The only thing that we will miss this year is time, and I think we have some good amount of time ahead of us.”
Looking to respond quickly to a wounding loss, Ngannou is now set for his debut in the PFL as he makes a return to MMA to face off against Renan Ferreira. Speaking about the prospect of the ex-UFC heavyweight champion making his comeback in the cage, the PFL founder Donn Davis appeared excited to see what is in store.
Speaking previously on ‘The MMA Hour‘, he acknowledged: “I’m rooting for Francis all the time, but now he’s coming back early. Will it be as early as July? Maybe. Will it be as late as September? No later, but you’ll see Francis now in 2024, in PFL, against Renan Ferreira in what I believe is going to be the fight I’m looking forward to the most in the heavyweight division of all of MMA.”