“I don’t remember when I came back from the stool to go back to the second round” - Francis Ngannou talks KO loss against Anthony Joshua

Less than two weeks after his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou can only describe his second professional boxing fight as 'weird.'

Ngannou, who has remained in good spirits since the loss, appeared on The MMA Hour on March 18 to break the silence on his violent defeat. The former UFC heavyweight champion made no excuses for his performance but called the experience of his entire fight day "weird".

Talking with host Ariel Helwani from the backseat of a moving vehicle, Ngannou said:

"The only thing that bothers me is I was never in that fight. It was a weird day, a weird evening. I was tired... Even warming up I was sweating but still getting tired... Even when the fight started I was never there. Even when I got hit [by] the first punch, I was more surprised about the fact I was falling down from the punch than the punch itself."

Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below:

The second-round knockout result would mark the first time in the Cameroonian's career he had ever been knocked unconscious. Through 21 combined outings in MMA and boxing leading into the March 8 fight, 'The Predator' had only lost by decision.

Recalling the experience, Ngannou continued:

"When I was in the corner [after the first round, my coaches] were talking to me. And then my memory, vision, everything kept going. I don't remember when I came back from the stool to go back to the second round. That's how weird it was. So from there, in the stool in between rounds, I wasn't there anymore. Some days it's just not your day."

Watch Francis Ngannou's interview from the full episode of The MMA Hour below:

---

Francis Ngannou says he was not the same fighter against Anthony Joshua

Francis Ngannou knows that he was not his best on March 8 and insists that he was 'somebody else' against Anthony Joshua based on what he was during his previous fight against Tyson Fury.

Ngannou would tell Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he felt he did not show up, saying:

"Again, I will tell you something. It wasn't me that fought Tyson Fury that was there fighting AJ [Anthony Joshua]. It was somebody else."

While most expected Ngannou to lose by knockout against Fury in his professional debut, the performance 'The Predator' had in that fight made many believe he would hold his own against Joshua. Instead, Joshua picked up his 25th career knockout win and fourth straight victory overall.