Anthony Joshua destroyed Francis Ngannou with a vicious right hook in the second round of their blockbuster clash in Riyadh, leaving him stone cold on the deck.

Ngannou’s leg folded as he collapsed in the middle of the ring, utterly demolished by one of the most malicious right hands in the sport.

Joshua knocked down the former UFC champion three times in a sensational blitz. If you blinked, you missed it.

AJ floored Ngannou for the first time in his career with less than a minute to go of the first round before forcing him down twice in the second round.

There was no getting up from the third time his head went spinning. This was blistering, bloodthirsty, belligerent boxing at its best.

Anthony Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou with a devastating right hook in the second round of their fight

Ngannou was out cold after hitting the deck for the third time in the first two round of their bout

Joshua was ectastic after winning his fourth fight in a row and proving his credentials again

Anthony Joshua knocked down Francis Ngannou in the first round of their bout and felled him twice more in the second

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This was Joshua’s fourth consecutive win as they contested the co-main event on the ‘Knockout Chaos’ card in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua has been building himself back up following a double defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, with the 34-year-old heading into this bout after successive victories over Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin.   

After defeats to Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oleksandr Usyk (twice), Joshua’s career looked to be deflating. Then came the three wins. And then came this right hand in all its ruinous, crippling, year-defining glory.

Eddie Hearn said: ‘That was one of the most destructive knockouts I have ever seen. He destroyed Francis Ngannou.’

In the wake of it he was congratulated by a band of supporters including Ronaldo Nazario and Jose Mourinho.

While he was favourite, there was little predicting how lethal he would be, making it his business to cull Ngannou as quickly as possible.

But Joshua cut a cool figure in the wake of his jaw-dropping triumph.

He said: ‘You realise how much your life changes when you lose. When you win, it’s on to the next, innit? I’m not even buzzing about the win. On to the next, go.

Tyson Fury and Ronaldo Nazario were among those in attendance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Jose Mourinho, who was sacked by Roma in January, spent time indulging in the boxing

‘If I was the old AJ, it would have been just strength vs strength. It would have taken years out of my career.

‘Fury, Usky, if they want me they can come knocking at my door.’

This was just Ngannou’s second professional boxing fight following his narrow and controversial defeat to Tyson Fury via split decision in October.

Tyson Fury, Ronaldo Nazario, and Jose Mourinho were among the onlookers as Joshua floored Ngannou in the most hotly anticipated clash of the year so far.