Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou is likely to drop out of the WBC top 10 rankings after his knockout defeat to former two-time unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
The Cameroonian MMA star was rated number 10 in the last WBC rankings after an impressive debut against WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October 2023.
Ngannou lost via split decision but his performance left a lasting impression on the WBC ratings committee, who slotted him in one place ahead of Martin Bakole.
However, after being dispatched in two rounds by AJ on Friday night his stock has fallen – and so will his ranking, according to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman.
“Yes, he will drop from the top 10 WBC rankings, certainly because he was knocked out in two rounds,” Sulaiman told Talk Sport.
“I do not regret ranking him. He had a sensational outing against the WBC champion Tyson Fury and he has a history behind him in mixed martial arts, which is a criterion for the WBC in rankings.
“As I have explained Muay Thai fighters are immediately ranked in the WBC, mostly from Thailand. Joshua looked phenomenal, and Ngannou looked surprised.”
When asked if the 37-year-old would remain in the WBC’s top 40 rankings, Sulaiman replied: “I don’t know, that’s a matter for the ratings committee.
“If it was my decision, I would support him to still be in the top 40 rankings.
“I think we all could see him fighting anyone and still be competitive and possibly winning against rated fighters.
“So we’ll see what the ratings committee decides in the next couple of days.”
At the time of writing, Joshua is ranked No.1 with the WBC, with Frank Sanchez placed at No.2 and Joseph Parker at No.3.
The official rankings will be updated in full at some point in the coming days.
Last month, entries were submitted on February 20.
