Anthony Joshua brutally KOs Francis Ngannou in Round 2

Five months ago, Francis Ngannou almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history against Tyson Fury. But the former UFC heavyweight champion's second boxing match against Anthony Joshua didn't go nearly as well.

Joshua knocked out Ngannou in devastating fashion Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the finish coming at the 2:38 mark of the second round. Joshua landed a massive right hand that put Ngannou out cold.

Joshua dropped Ngannou two other times - once in the first round and once in the second - before the knockout.

Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, said it was "one of the most destructive knockouts I have ever seen."

Following the victory, Joshua, a former two-time world heavyweight boxing champion, said he wants to challenge the winner of the undisputed heavyweight title bout between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, which is scheduled for May 18 in Riyadh.

Hearn said he hopes Fury beats Usyk to set up a meeting with Joshua because it would be the "biggest fight in the history of the sport."

"He's going to come back," Hearn said of Joshua, "and he's going to become the undisputed heavyweight champion."

Joshua didn't even give Ngannou a chance. Joshua was far more comfortable in the ring as soon as the opening bell sounded and throughout the contest. He landed a right punch late in the first round that floored Ngannou, who beat the count but was dazed.

Joshua continued to dominate in the second round, dropping Ngannou with a left shot to the temple. As soon as Ngannou returned to his feet and the fight resumed, Joshua put him on the canvas for a third and final time with a picture-perfect overhand right. Ngannou was unconscious, and the referee immediately waved off the bout.

Joshua is now riding a four-fight winning streak after an active 2023 campaign in which he went 3-0. The Watford, England, native has won three straight fights inside the distance and was coming off a fifth-round stoppage of Otto Wallin last December in Riyadh.

Joshua, 34, dropped the WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight belts to Usyk via unanimous decision in September 2021, and then lost an immediate rematch via split decision in August 2022.

Ngannou falls to 0-2 in his professional boxing career. "The Predator" made his debut against Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion, in a non-title bout last October and lost via split decision. Ngannou stunned the boxing world by dropping Fury in the third round of that fight.

While it's unclear what's next for the 37-year-old Cameroonian, it wouldn't be a surprise if he returns to MMA, as Ngannou is considered the top heavyweight in that sport. Ngannou, who hasn't fought in MMA since January 2022, signed a deal with the PFL last year after leaving the UFC as a free agent and that promotion's reigning heavyweight champion. He said in February that he intended to come back to MMA and that the time frame would depend on the result of his fight with Joshua.

The PFL announced last month that Ngannou's debut would be against Renan Ferreira, a 6-foot-8 Brazilian.

Joshua praised Ngannou and suggested that he keep going as a boxer.

"When I saw the fight with him and Tyson Fury, I was like, 'Damn, this guy can fight. I need a piece of that,'" Joshua said. "He's an inspiration. He's a great champion. This doesn't take anything away from his abilities. Because in boxing, it's one or the other.

"I told him he shouldn't leave boxing. He can go a long way if he stays dedicated."