Francis Ngannou feels he was ‘tricked’ mere hours before his devastating knockout defeat by Anthony Joshua.
Francis Ngannou, the fighter from Cameroon, suffered a knockout in the second round against Anthony Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia.
This marked a significant setback for the former UFC heavyweight champion, who was sent to the canvas three times, demonstrating that he was significantly overpowered in only his second foray into boxing.
Ngannou has recently shared insights into his pre-fight preparation, suggesting he struggled to stay awake during his warm-up ahead of the bout. He now suspects that his early arrival at the venue was a strategic move to disadvantage him.
Speaking on the MMA Hour, Ngannou recounted how he was transported to the arena much earlier than necessary, at 10:30 pm, only to be informed that the fight was scheduled for around 1:45 am.
However, he noticed Anthony Joshua arriving much later, close to their fight time, leading him to question the timing of his own arrival and suggesting it might have been a deliberate ploy.
“We received a schedule, an email, and then for some reason I was there at least one hour before. But for the fight, at least two hours beforehand,” he said, according to talkSPORT.
“They do this kind of trick to get you tired. I was like cool, I was like, ‘Bro, it’s okay.’ I didn’t know how important that was, until the fight day that I had to get there two hours before.”
