Dillian Whyte has suggested Francis Ngannou is ‘not a good boxer’ after his brutal KO defeat to Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou was brutally stopped by Joshua in the second round of their Saudi showdown, being left facedown on the canvas in his latest boxing appearance.
2Ngannou was savagely stopped by Joshua in the second roundCredit: Getty
It was a tough outing for ‘The Predator’ who had made such a positive impression on his debut, dropping Tyson Fury in a narrow points defeat last October.
But he could now face a regroup after a damaging loss, but has stated he will remain in the boxing ring as part of a long-term plan.
One fight that could now emerge as an option could be against Whyte, who will return to the ring on March 16 against Christian Hammer.
The ‘Body Snatcher’ was not impressed with Ngannou in his recent outing, and feels he boxed naively which led to the stoppage.
He told Sky Sports: “Francis is not experienced enough to beat the top guys. He got a bit complacent because he did well against Fury but Fury didn’t take him seriously.
“I think that fight gave him false confidence to the point where, when he was getting hammered with big punches, he stayed in the pocket and he wasn’t trying to move his head or hold or anything.
“I thought Francis would be a little bit better, to be honest, but Francis… he’s doing boxing, but it’s not recognised boxing training so he hasn’t covered the basics.
He went on to dismiss his boxing s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s and suggested he would win routinely if the pair touched gloves.
Whyte was critical of Ngannou’s display against JoshuaCredit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom
“I tried to fight Ngannou four years ago,” he said. “I would have definitely knocked him out. I said I would fight him in boxing and MMA.
“I always believed I could knock him out because the boxing ability isn’t there.
“I think he is a good fighter but I don’t think he is a good boxer.
“I believe I would have been able to find a hole, hit him with body shots, and catch him with right hands.”
Whyte and Ngannou held a press conference over Zoom at the start of the Covid pandemic to promote a potential crossover bout between them.
However, this never aired following a legal letter by Dana White to Eddie Hearn.
Whyte has a wealth of boxing experience as well as in the cage, which would see any deal easily open up for the pair.
He is hoping to return to world title level and secure the highest paydays, with a rematch against Joshua remaining an option on the table.
Meanwhile for Ngannou, it is expected he will first return to MMA appearing under new promotion PFL, before considering his next squared circle option.
