- Anthony Joshua scored a stunning knockout victory over Francis Ngannou
- Oleksandr Usyk grimaced then refused to watch the final knockout
- The Ukrainian champion has previously stated that he prefers to win on points rather than by knockout.
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Oleksandr Usyk refused to watch Anthony Joshua’s brutal knockout of Francis Ngannou earlier this month.
Joshua knocked down Ngannou for the first time in his career in the first round before putting him back on the canvas early in the second.
The fight was over when Joshua knocked Ngannou to the ground for a third time with a powerful right hand in the second round, with the former UFC fighter unable to get back to his feet after the knockout.
WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight champion Usyk was given a laptop to watch the fight while filming with DAZN this week.
The Ukrainian said nothing but grimaced as he glanced over Joshua’s dominant performance.
Anthony Joshua defeated Francis Ngannou in just two rounds with an explosive knockout
Oleksandr Usyk grimaced as he struggled to watch the fight in replay
After watching Joshua knock down Ngannou a second time, Usyk closed the laptop to avoid watching the brutal knockout that followed moments later.
The 37-year-old did not explain his reaction but has in the past expressed his preference for beating his opponents on points rather than by knockout.
When asked why he didn’t knock out Joshua in their first fight of 2021, Usyk replied: “Why are you so bloodthirsty?
“There is victory, everything is fine. Why is it necessary for a person to fall?
“He has a mother and a father. This represents a great loss of health if a person falls. I’m not for that.
Usyk will finally meet Tyson Fury in the ring on May 18 as part of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh season to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.
He could face Joshua a third time if he manages to defeat the Gypsy King.