Francis Ngannou’s boxing journey has suffered a devastating setback. The former UFC heavyweight champion took on boxer Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia for his second fight in the squared circle. His previous fight against Tyson Fury saw Ngannou drop Fury with a left hook and shock the world with his performance, despite losing to a close decision. Going into the fight against Joshua, many expected the former UFC champion to showcase the power that once made him a feared competitor in MMA.

But fans didn’t expect ‘The Predator’ to be on the receiving end of a brutal knockout at the hands of Joshua. The Briton dropped him in the first round and once more in the second. And while the Cameroonian-French pugilist proved he had a tough heart by getting up, Joshua lined him for another big right hand, forcing the referee to step in and halt the fight as Ngannou crumpled to the canvas.

The 37-year-old Ngannou was then given treatment by the medical staff present for the event and was provided with an oxygen mask. A post on Instagram by ‘Championship Rounds’ put up a side-by-side comparison of Ngannou with Israel Adesanya after their knockout losses. The caption stated, “Francis and Izzy were both on the opposite end of knockouts that had them on oxygen afterward.”

The post has drawn a flurry of reactions from the fans, who were not pleased with the comparisons being drawn between the pair and the inclusion of Adesanya in a seemingly irrelevant moment.

Fans were displeased at Francis Ngannou’s loss being compared to Israel Adesanya

“Literally WHAT does this have to do with izzy,” commented an Instagram user. There was a time when Francis Ngannou, Israel Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman were referred to as the ‘Three African Kings’ of the UFC. After all, they were all champions back then. Could this have led to the comparison between Ngannou and Adesanya? Possibly.

On similar lines, reactions like “Izzy fans mad”, “Y’all are brutal for this. Why involve my boy Izzy” and “Nasty work for this post” were abundant.

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Others pointed out that Adesanya’s loss occurred in 2017 when he fought Alex Pereira in a kickboxing match. “Izzy’s was like a decade ago tho lmao.” On March 4, 2017, both the fighters faced off for the second time at Glory of Heroes 7. This resulted in the Brazilian winning the fight through a left hook knockout.

Further, a fan was skeptical about the knockout and implied that the event was ‘staged’. “Fake knock out , the oxygen tanks valve was closed too Saudi events always staged,” they wrote. However, the strong right to Ngannou’s head can’t fool the viewers. He was out cold.

Read More: Francis Ngannou’s Clear Message to Dana White Over Jon Jones Rivalry – “Call Me…”

Others were left speechless at the knockout and its consequences on display. Fans also commented, “Bro what” and “Naw that disrespectful af. If I get slept let me die,” while sharing their thoughts online.

Some fans were concerned as they had never witnessed a knockout victim being given oxygen in other combat sports like MMA. “Is this down to other sports regulations cause I never seen someone need oxygen after an mma fight”

With the new win, Joshua expanded his record to 28-3, whereas Ngannou is stuck at 0-2. But what was Joshua’s advice for ‘The Predator’? “When I saw the fight with Tyson Fury, I thought ‘I want some of that’. [Ngannou] is a great champion, and this doesn’t take anything away from his capabilities. I told him not to leave boxing. He’s two fights in and he’s fought the best.”

Read More: Francis Ngannou Defies Dana White & UFC Top Brass Over Kamaru Usman’s Request – “I Have a Right”