Kamaru Usman recently expressed his feelings about Francis Ngannou’s recent knockout defeat to Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou, together with Israel Adesanya and Usman, became the first African-born UFC champions.
Their African origin played an important role in the story and contributed to the UFC’s continental spread.
In addition to having close personal ties, African fighters have supported one another through the highs and lows of their combat careers.
On March 8, Anthony Joshua, the former two-time heavyweight champion, defeated Ngannou by knockout in the second round.
This was Ngannou’s first professional KO loss, and it put an end to his ascent toward a possible boxing championship shot.
Usman discussed his condolences over Ngannou’s loss in the most recent Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry podcast episode, saying:
He said, “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.”
“But props to Anthony Joshua. Anthony Joshua handled himself as an outstanding professional.
“He showed what it is to be a technical boxer. Because I think, to date, people can say whatever they want to say about him, about Francis, but I do honestly believe that is Anthony Joshua’s best performance as a boxer yet!”
The former UFC welterweight champion emphasized once more that defeat is a given in combat sports, particularly for athletes who participate for extended periods.
Joshua’s performance and demeanor both before and after the bout impressed him.
