Ngannou believes that the organizers poisoned him before the fight with Joshua

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou has revealed that he suspects the organizers of his boxing match against British fighter Anthony Joshua poisoned him.

«It all started back on media days. I was given a specific time to appear—I would leave my hotel room, arrive, and nothing would be ready. This happened more than once. I had to wait for hours for events and conferences. It was mentally exhausting and physically draining.

On the day of the fight, there were also strange occurrences. We arrived at the arena at 10:45 PM, and the producer approached us to say that the broadcast was delayed and the fight would start at around 1:45 AM. I sat in the locker room waiting; it was hot, and I was drinking water, almost falling asleep. Around 1:30 AM, I noticed that Joshua had arrived at the stadium. He should not have been able to arrive at that time if the fight was scheduled for midnight or 1:45 AM, as I had been told.

The fight started at 4 AM. But throughout that time, I felt unwell.

In the first round, I was hit, but it was weak and muffled by my glove. However, as soon as I found myself in the corner and heard the voices of my corners… I looked at them and saw they were right there, but their voices seemed to come from a distance.

I feel like it all comes down to the water. It was provided by the organizers. It was a big mistake to drink it… But when you wait a long time in the locker room, someone comes in to take a urine sample, or you start warming up and sweating, you inevitably end up drinking water… I know many fighters who say they always bring their own water and never drink what the organizers provide. And they aren’t even boxing at the highest level… I never expected to encounter such treachery in boxing,» Ngannou told Allboxing.

The bout between Ngannou and Joshua concluded in the second round, with Anthony knocking Francis out.