"He understands the void" - Former UFC champ believes Anthony Joshua would beat Francis Ngannou in MMA as well

Following a brutal knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in their recent boxing match, questions linger regarding how Francis Ngannou would perform against Joshua in an MMA setting.

Ngannou entered the boxing world with a bang, challenging Tyson Fury in his debut. While he fell short in a split-decision loss, the fight was highlighted by Ngannou's thunderous second-round knockdown of The Gypsy King.' This display further solidified Ngannou's reputation as a dangerous striker, even under boxing rules.

However, the former UFC heavyweight champion's second professional boxing venture against Joshua proved disastrous. Joshua capitalized on Ngannou's limited boxing experience, securing a decisive knockout victory in the second round.

Former UFC champion Demetrious Johnson weighed in on the hypothetical scenario of a rematch between the two in an MMA setting. Surprisingly, Johnson believes the outcome wouldn't differ significantly. Appearing in a recent video on his YouTube channel, 'Might Mouse' had this to say:

"Does Anthony Joshua beat Francis Ngannou in an MMA fight? I think he does... would just be another striking match. AJ understands his distance. He understands the void. He has better hands than Francis, and he can make Francis even whiff and miss again."

He added:

"Unless Francis is going to change his tactic and go clinch him and wrestle him. But AJ is very athletic. He is smaller, he’s more limber. I think he’d be able to stuff the shot and be able to give it to Francis Ngannou.”

Check out Demetrious Johnson's comment below (8:26):

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Kamaru Usman offers support to Francis Ngannou after KO loss

Kamaru Usman expressed his disappointment following Francis Ngannou's recent knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in a boxing match.

Usman, alongside Ngannou and Israel Adesanya, had established a strong African presence in the UFC, becoming the first trio of African-born champions in the organization's history. This shared heritage fostered close bonds among them, leading to mutual support throughout their fighting careers.

Ngannou's defeat on March 8 marked a significant setback, as it was his first career knockout loss and put a potential boxing title shot on hold.

On his podcast, Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry, Usman acknowledged the difficulty of witnessing Ngannou's loss:

"It was a really, really tough one to watch. Yeah, it's a tough one. I can't really put it in the words. But I think you can always point to different things that might have played a factor here and there but the result, it is what it is. It was a hard one watching my brother go down like that."

Check out Kamaru Usman's comment below (00:40):