The mixed martial arts (MMA) world watched in horror Friday night as former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou was knocked out cold by boxing superstar Anthony Joshua. It was the first time fight fans have ever seen Ngannou seriously hurt in a fight, let alone laying on his back unconscious looking up at the stars.
Needless to say, the result of Ngannou’s second pro boxing match was shocking. “Predator” may have been a betting underdog against Joshua, but he handled himself so good against Tyson Fury last October that it seemed completely plausible that Ngannou could pull of the upset on Friday. Sadly for Ngannou and MMA fans around the world, Joshua was simply too good and would not be denied the early knockout finish.
After witnessing Ngannou’s destruction, the MMA community took to social media to share their support and utter shock for how things turned out. Some fighters even started to pray for Ngannou’s health after seeing Joshua’s final right hand. It wasn’t a good moment for many around MMA, including former UFC champions Daniel Cormier and Israel Adesanya.
Check out Cormier’s reaction to Ngannou getting slept below:
“He just dropped Francis,” said Cormier. “Oh my goodness.”
“Oh my gosh,” he continued. “Again, bro. Oh that was worse. Left hook. I think Francis might be done boys. It does not look good. Francis is hurt bad.”
“Oh sh-t,” shouted Cormier after the final blow was delivered. “Oh my god.”
Adesanya, who has forged a close relationship with “Predator” over the past few years, was speechless after witnessing his friend get knocked out cold inside of the boxing ring. The look on Adesanya’s face said it all.
Check it out below:
For complete Ngannou vs. Joshua results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
