AS Roma's former boss Jose Mourinho was ringside to congratulate Anthony Joshua after his explosive knock-out victory over Francis Ngannou.
The Special One watched as the Brit demolished Cameroonian-born French professional mixed martial artist Francis Ngannou in Riyadh on Friday night, March 8.
Anthony Joshua's brutal second-round stoppage of Francis Ngannou sends a warning to Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
The British boxer wasted no time in taking control, flooring Ngannou heavily in the first round with a blistering right hand before knocking him out in the second round.
Despite being the favorite, Ngannou couldn't withstand Joshua's vicious attacks and the fight ended after just six minutes of action.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was quick to congratulate the victorious Joshua, dubbing him the new Special One in a video shared on social media.
The ex-manager of Manchester United and AS Roma, Mourinho, had a wide grin on his face as he entered the ring to congratulate Anthony Joshua on his impressive victory over Francis Ngannou in just two rounds.
Despite Joshua's more reserved reaction, Mourinho seemed to be enjoying the brutality of the finish as he warmly shook hands with the 34-year-old Nigerian-born heavyweight boxer.
The Portuguese manager appeared even happier than the Nigerian knockout king himself after witnessing AJ's powerful performance at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.
It is worth noting that Mourinho has been a longtime supporter of Joshua, surprising him in 2016 by showing up unannounced at The O2 Arena to witness his quick victory over Charles Martin.
The Portuguese tactician along with other well-wishers, patiently waited in the queue outside Joshua’s dressing room to congratulate him when he bagged the IBF heavyweight title then.
Mounrinho's presence at AJ's fight against Francis underscored Joshua's growing status in the sports world.
Meanwhile, a collection of sports stars, including the Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima and boxer Kell Brook, joined Mourinho to watch Joshua knockout Ngannou.
Tyson Fury, Ngannou's first opponent and the current WBC heavyweight title holder, was also in attendance at the highly followed bout on Friday midnight, March 8.
Following his dominant victory over Francis Ngannou, Anthony Joshua reaffirms his interest in facing the winner of the highly anticipated undisputed showdown between heavyweight champions Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
The bout, originally set for February, was postponed to May 18 in Riyadh due to a severe cut sustained by Fury during his bout with Francis Ngannou in October 2023.
However, it should be noted that both Usyk and Fury have rematch clauses in their contracts, which could delay a potential matchup with Joshua.
In the meantime, Joshua will likely need to schedule another fight or two to stay sharp and active before getting the opportunity to face the potential undisputed champion, Fury or Usyk.
The Special One watched as the Brit demolished Cameroonian-born French professional mixed martial artist Francis Ngannou in Riyadh on Friday night, March 8.
Anthony Joshua's brutal second-round stoppage of Francis Ngannou sends a warning to Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
The British boxer wasted no time in taking control, flooring Ngannou heavily in the first round with a blistering right hand before knocking him out in the second round.
Despite being the favorite, Ngannou couldn't withstand Joshua's vicious attacks and the fight ended after just six minutes of action.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was quick to congratulate the victorious Joshua, dubbing him the new Special One in a video shared on social media.
The ex-manager of Manchester United and AS Roma, Mourinho, had a wide grin on his face as he entered the ring to congratulate Anthony Joshua on his impressive victory over Francis Ngannou in just two rounds.
Despite Joshua's more reserved reaction, Mourinho seemed to be enjoying the brutality of the finish as he warmly shook hands with the 34-year-old Nigerian-born heavyweight boxer.
The Portuguese manager appeared even happier than the Nigerian knockout king himself after witnessing AJ's powerful performance at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.
It is worth noting that Mourinho has been a longtime supporter of Joshua, surprising him in 2016 by showing up unannounced at The O2 Arena to witness his quick victory over Charles Martin.
The Portuguese tactician along with other well-wishers, patiently waited in the queue outside Joshua’s dressing room to congratulate him when he bagged the IBF heavyweight title then.
Mounrinho's presence at AJ's fight against Francis underscored Joshua's growing status in the sports world.
Meanwhile, a collection of sports stars, including the Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima and boxer Kell Brook, joined Mourinho to watch Joshua knockout Ngannou.
Tyson Fury, Ngannou's first opponent and the current WBC heavyweight title holder, was also in attendance at the highly followed bout on Friday midnight, March 8.
What's next?
Following his dominant victory over Francis Ngannou, Anthony Joshua reaffirms his interest in facing the winner of the highly anticipated undisputed showdown between heavyweight champions Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
The bout, originally set for February, was postponed to May 18 in Riyadh due to a severe cut sustained by Fury during his bout with Francis Ngannou in October 2023.
However, it should be noted that both Usyk and Fury have rematch clauses in their contracts, which could delay a potential matchup with Joshua.
In the meantime, Joshua will likely need to schedule another fight or two to stay sharp and active before getting the opportunity to face the potential undisputed champion, Fury or Usyk.