Francis Ngannou had a nagging feeling as he rose from bed on the morning of his much-anticipated clash with Anthony Joshua, a feeling that perhaps today wouldn't be his day.
The former UFC heavyweight champion squared off against AJ in a high-stakes event in Saudi Arabia bright and early on Saturday morning.
Ngannou, at 37, had electrified the world with his professional boxing debut last October, delivering a stellar performance against WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury.
09:05 - 10.03.2024
Israel Adesanya close to tears as Anthony Joshua knocks out Francis Ngannou
See how Israel Adesanya reacted after Anthony Joshua knocked out Francs Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
18:55 - 09.03.2024
Anthony Joshua shines at Formula One Saudi Arabia after knocking out Francis Ngannou
After knocking out Francis Ngannou, Anthony Joshua was treated like a king as he arrived at the Formula One event in Saudi Arabia.
However, his dreams were abruptly interrupted by Joshua, who sealed the deal with a second-round knockout in their Saudi showdown.
Ngannou on losing to Joshua
In his conversation with SecondsOut, Ngannou gracefully acknowledged Joshua's victory, saying, "I'm not going to take anything away from Anthony Joshua, he did a great job.
“I think even if I was different, I think maybe things may have still been the same. But this wasn't my day. I woke up this morning and felt like this wasn't my day."
Despite enduring the first knockdowns and knockout of his 11-year-long combat sports journey, Ngannou remains resolute about his boxing career's continuation.
When asked about his future in the ring, the Cameroonian powerhouse affirmed, "Absolutely. Right now I feel like I have an obligation to continue because it owes me now. I think boxing owes me now and I really intend to collect."
Former two-time unified heavyweight champion Joshua remains optimistic about Ngannou's prospects in boxing, suggesting that the journey is far from over for the African powerhouse.