Francis Ngannou's WBC ranking NOSEDIVES after knockout loss to Anthony Joshua

The Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou matchup, which transpired on March 8, 2024, witnessed 'AJ' deliver what many view as one of the most devastating KOs ever. Ngannou was knocked out cold in their boxing match, which has caused his WBC ranking to plummet.

Joshua's second-round KO victory over 'The Predator' marked the first stoppage defeat of the latter's professional combat sports career. Before that loss, Ngannou had never been knocked out or submitted in boxing or MMA. Apart from it being the first time he was KO'd in a combat sports contest, the setback has adversely affected the French-Cameroonian fighter's boxing world title quest.

Heading into the matchup, Francis Ngannou's WBC ranking had him among the WBC's top-10 heavyweights in the world. He was ranked No. 10. However, the knockout loss against Joshua has cast him out of the top-10. As reported by Daily Mail, 'The Predator' is ranked No. 24 in the official WBC heavyweight rankings.

Speaking of Francis Ngannou's WBC ranking, certain sections of the boxing world opposed the fact that the WBC had considered him worthy of entering its prestigious top-10 rankings. A former UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou parted ways with the UFC in January 2023, signed with the PFL MMA organization, and then shifted his focus toward his boxing debut.

The MMA KO artist made his professional boxing debut in a non-title bout against the reigning WBC and consensus lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October 2023. Despite scoring a knockdown, Ngannou lost to 'The Gypsy King' via split decision.

Regardless, Ngannou was granted the No. 10 spot in the WBC rankings. Since late 2023, his detractors criticized the same, with some claiming he'd lose his next boxing bout and the top-10 ranking in his next outing.

Ngannou did suffer a setback in his second boxing bout, getting KO'd by Joshua earlier this month. Be that as it may, the 37-year-old subsequently indicated that he won't give up on his dream to become a boxing world champion.

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Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: 'AJ' eyes title glory while 'The Predator' seeks redemption

The much-discussed upcoming Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk boxing match (May 18, 2024) will crown boxing's first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000. It's believed that the victory over Francis Ngannou has bagged Anthony Joshua a title shot against the Fury-Usyk winner.

As for Francis Ngannou, he's vowed to redeem himself in the boxing ring and continue competing in MMA.

PFL co-founder Donn Davis recently spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour and revealed that Ngannou's next fight will be an MMA bout. Davis highlighted that he'll face PFL heavyweight kingpin Renan Ferreira. The Ferreira-Ngannou MMA bout could take place between July and September 2024, at a PFL event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.