New footage shows Francis Ngannou recovering backstage after suffering a brutal knockout loss to Anthony Joshua.
The former UFC heavyweight champion pushed Tyson Fury to the brink of defeat in his boxing debut last October, but he was made to look like the novice he is when he fought AJ earlier this month.
Ngannou needed medical attention after being slept by Joshua.
Ngannou was dropped twice before being knocked out cold in two rounds by the former unified heavyweight champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 8.
‘The Predator’ has now shared behind-the-scenes footage of the moments after he suffered the first stoppage defeat of his combat sports career.
It shows him walking unaided backstage where he is met by a bunch of his family members who were all keen to give him a big hug.
“This is just life, we don’t make any excuse,” Ngannou said.
“This is what we sign up for when you come to a sport like this.
“You always know that something like that can happen.
“This is a weird loss. Something that I wouldn’t like to experience, but I think it will stay as a defeat only if I don’t learn from it and come back from it.”
The video shared on Ngannou’s YouTube channel shows him looking downcast following the defeat, and even captures his journey back to the hotel two hours later.
Cameras caught Ngannou’s post-fight journey backstageCredit: Francis Ngannou – YouTube
Several members of his family tried to cheer him up with a hug.
But it didn’t work.
Several clips of him preparing for the bout on fight day are also included after he recently claimed his warm-up didn’t go well as he was ‘falling asleep’.
Ngannou spoke about the first punch that dropped him and admitted he was surprised to have been floored by a shot he doesn’t think had enough power behind it.
He added: “Even the first time, I was quite surprised, like, ‘Damn, I can’t be falling from this punch.
“The punch was hard, but I don’t think it was the punch that usually would take me down.”
Ngannou’s fighting future is uncertain right now.
It’s currently unclear if Ngannou has a future in boxing.
After dropping to 0-2 as a pro, many people assumed he would return to MMA for an eagerly anticipated fight with 6ft 8in PFL champion Renan Ferreira.
The man himself is weighing up a third bout in the square circle.
“What’s next for me? Maybe a third boxing match,” Ngannou concluded. “I think boxing owes me something now. I have to regain what boxing took from me.
“I think my ego will not let me step back and let this go like this without doing everything to restore and prove to the world that I’m the man for the job, I can do it. I slipped, but I didn’t fall. I stumbled, I didn’t fall.”
