(Exclusive): Curtis Blaydes heaps praise for Francis Ngannou despite loss to Anthony Joshua, says payday is 'the real win'

Curtis Blaydes recently weighed in on Francis Ngannou's knockout loss to Anthony Joshua. He applauded his former foe despite suffering his second consecutive loss in boxing.

It was an impressive performance by Joshua as he finished 'The Predator' in devastating fashion. Despite the loss, the MMA community rallied behind the former UFC heavyweight champion in an uplifting way by congratulating him on successfully betting on himself following his departure from the promotion.

During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA's James Lynch, 'Razor' mentioned that Ngannou was already a winner because of the paydays he received and a knockout loss won't change that. He said:

"He [Francis Ngannou] got outboxed by one of the best in the world [Anthony Joshua], one of the best to ever do it. He lost, it's heavyweight, it doesn't take a whole lot. He ate one on the button, that was it. He made a lot of money. It doesn't matter if he wins, who cares? I don't care if he wins another fight in his life, he's made like $40 million. That's the real win, he won." [9:21 - 9:50]

It will be interesting to see whether Ngannou makes another attempt in boxing or returns to MMA.

Check out the full interview below:

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How many times did Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes fight each other?

Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes are no strangers to each other as they competed against each other in the octagon on two occasions.

Their first encounter took place in 2016, which saw 'The Predator' earn a second round TKO due to a doctor stoppage following the end of the round. Their paths crossed again at UFC Fight Night 141 in Beijing, China, where Ngannou earned a decisive TKO win at 45-seconds of the first round.

Check out the full Ngannou vs. Blaydes rematch below: