# Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou
**Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou** was a heavyweight professional boxing match held on 8 March 2024 at the [Kingdom Arena](https://www.edgepedia.org/kingdom-arena) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, headlining the 'Knockout Chaos' event. [Anthony Joshua](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-joshua), a former two-time unified world heavyweight champion, knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion [Francis Ngannou](https://www.edgepedia.org/francis-ngannou) at 2:38 of the second round, in Ngannou's second professional boxing fight.[1](https://www.matchroomboxing.com/news/knockout-chaos-promised-for-joshua-vs-ngannou-on-8-march/) • [2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/8/24094959/anthony-joshua-demolishes-francis-ngannou-with-absolutely-brutal-knockout-in-second-round)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | Friday 8 March 2024, Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia[1](https://www.matchroomboxing.com/news/knockout-chaos-promised-for-joshua-vs-ngannou-on-8-march/) |
| Event | 'Knockout Chaos', announced by Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority[1](https://www.matchroomboxing.com/news/knockout-chaos-promised-for-joshua-vs-ngannou-on-8-march/) |
| Result | Joshua won by knockout at 2:38 of round two[2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/8/24094959/anthony-joshua-demolishes-francis-ngannou-with-absolutely-brutal-knockout-in-second-round) |
| Knockdowns | Ngannou down three times: a straight right in round one, a right hand midway through round two, and a finishing overhand right[2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/8/24094959/anthony-joshua-demolishes-francis-ngannou-with-absolutely-brutal-knockout-in-second-round) |
| Ngannou's record entering | 0-1 as a professional boxer, after a split-decision loss to Tyson Fury on 28 October 2023 in his debut[1](https://www.matchroomboxing.com/news/knockout-chaos-promised-for-joshua-vs-ngannou-on-8-march/) |
| Broadcast | DAZN worldwide; PPV.COM live stream in the U.S. and Canada from 1 p.m. ET[3](https://www.ppv.com/event-management/www.ppv.com/assets/website/1708968056524_240223_Joshua_Ngannou_PPV.COM_Press_Release.pdf) |
## Background
Ngannou entered boxing in October 2023 as the reigning lineal UFC heavyweight champion, having left the promotion earlier that year and signed with the [Professional Fighters League](https://www.edgepedia.org/professional-fighters-league) (PFL). In the 'Battle of the Baddest', which opened [Riyadh Season](https://www.edgepedia.org/riyadh-season) on 28 October 2023, he fought WBC world champion [Tyson Fury](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyson-fury) over 10 rounds and knocked Fury down with a left hook to the temple in the third round, losing a narrow split decision.[1](https://www.matchroomboxing.com/news/knockout-chaos-promised-for-joshua-vs-ngannou-on-8-march/) The performance made a second boxing match against an elite heavyweight commercially credible; Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn, who had earlier dismissed a Joshua-Ngannou meeting as too gimmicky, said after the Fury fight that Ngannou had impressed him in footwork, mindset, power, and speed.[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/1/14/24032342/eddie-hearn-anthony-joshua-didnt-really-need-a-lot-of-convincing-to-pivot-to-francis-ngannou)
The fight came together quickly after the 'Day of Reckoning' card in Riyadh on 23 December 2023. Joshua and [Deontay Wilder](https://www.edgepedia.org/deontay-wilder) had signed contracts for a planned showdown to be announced in the ring that night, but Wilder lost a one-sided decision to [Joseph Parker](https://www.edgepedia.org/joseph-parker), leaving Joshua without that opponent. Hearn proposed Ngannou to Saudi royal adviser Turki Alalshikh as the biggest available fight, and the bout was announced for 8 March 2024.[4](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/1/14/24032342/eddie-hearn-anthony-joshua-didnt-really-need-a-lot-of-convincing-to-pivot-to-francis-ngannou) Joshua had rebuilt momentum by stopping [Otto Wallin](https://www.edgepedia.org/otto-wallin) in five rounds on the same December card.[1](https://www.matchroomboxing.com/news/knockout-chaos-promised-for-joshua-vs-ngannou-on-8-march/)
## The fight
Ngannou began confidently, measuring his punches and even switching to a southpaw stance early in the opening round. Joshua then dropped him with a straight right hand that caught him off guard; Ngannou took nearly the full 10 count to rise, and the round ended before further damage.[2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/8/24094959/anthony-joshua-demolishes-francis-ngannou-with-absolutely-brutal-knockout-in-second-round)
In the second round Joshua found the right hand repeatedly. Another stiff right midway through the round put Ngannou on the canvas a second time. When Ngannou rose, Joshua surged forward and landed a clean overhand right; Ngannou was unconscious before he hit the floor, and the referee waved the fight off immediately at 2:38 of the round.[2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/8/24094959/anthony-joshua-demolishes-francis-ngannou-with-absolutely-brutal-knockout-in-second-round) Ngannou remained motionless on the canvas for several minutes and received oxygen from ringside physicians before getting up to shake hands with Joshua.[2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/8/24094959/anthony-joshua-demolishes-francis-ngannou-with-absolutely-brutal-knockout-in-second-round)
**The stance switch.** Shortly before the finishing sequence, Ngannou switched from his traditional to an orthodox stance, a change Joshua's coach Ben Davison later called a mistake, since it opened him further to Joshua's right hand.[5](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/14/24099842/anthony-joshua-coach-francis-ngannous-stance-switch-was-a-mistake) Analysts noted that Joshua's jab feinting and single right hands in the first round were conditioning Ngannou for the shots that followed.[6](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/11/24095771/paulie-malignaggi-breaks-down-how-anthony-joshua-knocked-out-francis-ngannou)
## Undercard and promotion
The event was delivered by Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority together with [Eddie Hearn](https://www.edgepedia.org/eddie-hearn)'s Matchroom Boxing, Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions, Goldstar Promotions, and GIMIK Fight Promotions.[1](https://www.matchroomboxing.com/news/knockout-chaos-promised-for-joshua-vs-ngannou-on-8-march/) The undercard featured [Zhilei Zhang](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhilei-zhang) defending his WBO interim heavyweight title against Joseph Parker, WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas making a first defense against Nick Ball, and a European lightweight title fight between Gavin Gwynne and [Mark Chamberlain](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-chamberlain).[1](https://www.matchroomboxing.com/news/knockout-chaos-promised-for-joshua-vs-ngannou-on-8-march/)
## Aftermath
The knockout ended a six-month run for Ngannou that had begun with the signing to fight Fury. A return to MMA in the PFL, against Renan Ferreira, was seen as the most likely next step.[2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/8/24094959/anthony-joshua-demolishes-francis-ngannou-with-absolutely-brutal-knockout-in-second-round) Joshua called afterward for a fight with the winner of Tyson Fury versus [Oleksandr Usyk](https://www.edgepedia.org/oleksandr-usyk), scheduled for 18 May 2024.[2](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/8/24094959/anthony-joshua-demolishes-francis-ngannou-with-absolutely-brutal-knockout-in-second-round) Commentators treated the result as a caution against crossover matchmaking: the Guardian wrote that Joshua's demolition underlined the danger of such bouts, given the gap between a lifelong professional boxer and a fighter two bouts into the sport.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/09/boxing-anthony-joshua-francis-ngannou-danger-crossover-bouts)
## References
1. [Knockout chaos promised for Joshua vs. Ngannou on 8 March, Matchroom Boxing](https://www.matchroomboxing.com/news/knockout-chaos-promised-for-joshua-vs-ngannou-on-8-march/)
2. [Anthony Joshua demolishes Francis Ngannou with absolutely brutal knockout in second round, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/8/24094959/anthony-joshua-demolishes-francis-ngannou-with-absolutely-brutal-knockout-in-second-round)
3. [Joshua-Ngannou PPV.COM Press Release (23 February 2024)](https://www.ppv.com/event-management/www.ppv.com/assets/website/1708968056524_240223_Joshua_Ngannou_PPV.COM_Press_Release.pdf)
4. [Eddie Hearn: Anthony Joshua 'didn't really need a lot of convincing' to pivot to Francis Ngannou, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/1/14/24032342/eddie-hearn-anthony-joshua-didnt-really-need-a-lot-of-convincing-to-pivot-to-francis-ngannou)
5. [Anthony Joshua coach: Francis Ngannou's stance switch was a mistake, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/14/24099842/anthony-joshua-coach-francis-ngannous-stance-switch-was-a-mistake)
6. [Paulie Malignaggi breaks down how Anthony Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/3/11/24095771/paulie-malignaggi-breaks-down-how-anthony-joshua-knocked-out-francis-ngannou)
7. [Joshua's demolition of Ngannou underlines danger of crossover bouts, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/mar/09/boxing-anthony-joshua-francis-ngannou-danger-crossover-bouts)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Boxing › Bare-knuckle and crossover boxing*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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