Francis Ngannou is now 0-2 as a professional boxer, but the former UFC heavyweight champion must take it slow before deciding to make a comeback, so are the words of advice of another former UFC champ- Kamaru Usman.
Francis Ngannou, known for his devastating knockout power in the UFC, made the bold move to step into the boxing ring against former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on 8th March in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The fight generated immense interest, with fans eager to witness the clash of two combat sports worlds. Unfortunately for Ngannou, Joshua’s technical prowess and experience proved too much to handle, resulting in a brutal 2nd round knockout defeat for the Cameroonian fighter.
Kamaru Usman’s advice for Francis Ngannou
The loss marked his second defeat as a pro boxer- following the split decision loss to Tyson Fury back in October, which also marked Ngannou’s debut in the squared circle. While fighters often rush into a comeback fight after suffering losing skids, former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has stepped forward to offer words of encouragement to his fellow African- advising Ngannou to take his time in making a return to boxing.
“When he feels up to it, me and my brother will have a conversation,” said Usman on Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru Usman & Henry Cejudo. “We texted a little bit but we’ll have a conversation, and my advice for him would just be take his time, take your time. At the end of the day, no one can tell you when that time is, that appropriate time is because he’s a professional, just like I am, just like you are, he’s a professional. He knows his clock, he knows his time, he knows what he’s capable of being able to handle.”
“So I would say just take your time, you don’t need to rush back because as competitors, as professionals, what we do do is we want it back ASAP. We want to get that back in blood as soon as possible. We lose, we don’t like to wallow in that feeling of a loss, you know, we don’t like to be defeated, so we want to get it back right away and get back in the win column,” added Usman. [H/T MMA News]
While Ngannou’s loss to Joshua is undoubtedly disappointing, Usman’s advice serves as a reminder that setbacks are part of any fighter’s journey. Ngannou has an opportunity to regroup, refine his skills, and return to the octagon stronger than ever, rather than trying to rush back to winning ways- as the combat sports fandom eagerly awaits his next move and to see him back in the spotlight.
SHARE
