Francis Ngannou Plans to Test the chin of Anthony Joshua

13 January 2024

In an exciting turn of events for the boxing world, Francis Ngannou is set to challenge Anthony Joshua in a 10-round heavyweight bout scheduled for March in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The announcement came shortly after Joshua's dominant performance against Otto Wallin, coinciding with Deontay Wilder's unexpected defeat to Joseph Parker, which derailed the highly anticipated Joshua-Wilder matchup.

Speaking on The MMA Hour, Ngannou revealed the genesis of the showdown. "That’s when I stepped in," he said. "I watched the Wilder fight and then after that I watched the Joshua fight, and I was like, there’s an opportunity here. So I made a tweet first and then received a call. [Laughs.]”

Although Ngannou didn't attend the event, he closely observed the performances of both Joshua and Wilder, expressing his desire to face both heavyweight contenders eventually. While acknowledging Joshua's impressive display, Ngannou believes he can present a more formidable challenge than Wallin.

"He looked amazing. Respect to him, congratulations to him," Ngannou said of Joshua. "He was doing his job properly, his speed there, everything. He was sharp, very sharp. But on the other hand, I think there wasn’t a response in front of him. I think I will have a better response in front of him that will put him not in such a comfortable position."

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Ngannou is confident that his approach to the fight will be markedly different. "Things will change. It’s going to be different. I will not just stay there and look at him. It’s going to be different. I’m going to throw some bombs out there for him to deal with. I think he’s going to be mindful of what he’s doing."

As the heavyweight clash looms, fans eagerly anticipate the explosive showdown between two of the most formidable fighters in the division.