Francis Ngannou flattened one opponent with thunderous one-punch KO, then choked out another in same night

07/10/2023 21:21

On one night in 2014, Francis Ngannou was not satisfied with beating just one opponent, so he stopped two on the same show.

In the early stages of his MMA career, the Cameroonian took part in a ‘Supreme League’ tournament hosted by 100% Fight and so faced two fighters in one night.

To begin with, Ngannou came up against Bilal Tahtahi and he was a man on a mission as soon as the opening bell rang, relentlessly stalking his opponent, searching for the knockout blow.

And it did not take long to come, as Ngannou landed a one-two that sent Tahtahi crashing through the ropes.

While lying flat on his back on the canvas, the referee waved off the contest and Ngannou had his first knockout win in MMA.

Next up, he clashed with Nicolas Specq, who lasted longer, but also fell to defeat at the hands of Ngannou.

In round two, Ngannou put Specq in an arm-triangle choke to finish the contest inside the distance.

‘The Predator’ was then scheduled to fight in the final of the tournament a few weeks later, but his opponent pulled out ten minutes before the fight.

So, Ngannou was instead invited into the ring for an interview and then crowned champion by default.

On October 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ngannou will have just one opponent to deal with, but it will be a formidable one in the form of WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.

And he will be hoping his globally famous power will carry him through the fight, with Ngannou holding the record for the hardest punch in the world.

Even Tyson’s dad, John Fury, is concerned about Ngannou’s power, as he previously said: “I’m expecting Tyson to come out with a broken leg or a broken arm.

“I’m glad they’re paying him well, because if they weren’t paying him well I wouldn’t put him up against Ngannou.

“He’s going to get knocked about, Tyson, and he knows that. Exhibition my backside – they’re going to kill each other them pair."