Anthony Joshua offered a concise message to Francis Ngannou after knocking out the former UFC champion in Riyadh.
Following a delayed start in Saudi Arabia that saw the pair finally step into the ring at 3:30am, Joshua wasted little time once the opening bell rang.
Much like his fight with Fury, Ngannou came out the adopted a much more measured approach in the early going compared to with his MMA career.
The 37-year-old attempted to get his jab going in the opening round but AJ seized the inititaive after Ngannou briefly switched to southpaw, flooring him with a straight right hand and becoming the first fighter to do so in the process.
Joshua did not give any ground as the fight progressed, forcing Ngannou to the canvas with a right hand before summarily KO’ing him with a devastating punch just two minutes and 38 seconds into the second round.
Anthony Joshua offered words of encouragement to Francis Ngannou after knocking out the former UFC star
AJ dominated in Riyadh, dropping Ngannou twice before putting him out cold with a right hand
After Ngannou was helped to his feet, and exchange between the two fighters was caught on the live broadcast where AJ implored his opponent, ‘don’t leave boxing’.
Speaking in his post-fight interview, Joshua detailed his conversation with Ngannou inside the ring.
‘He can come again. I told him he shouldn’t leave boxing. He can do well. Remember he’s two fights in and he’s fought the best.
‘He can go a long way if he stays dedicated but it’s up to him.’
AJ also told a member of Ngannou’s entourage that he would like to support the Cameroonian heavyweight’s foundation in the future.