Francis Ngannou is set to face Anthony Joshua in a 10-round heavyweight boxing match in March in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and plans to test Joshua’s chin during the fight.
Francis Ngannou has a plan. He’s going to test Anthony Joshua’s chin.
2024 started with a bang, alright. Ngannou vs Joshua was announced for a 10-round heavyweight boxing match. The location? Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this March.
This announcement came hot on the heels of Joshua’s impressive performance against Otto Wallin. On the same night, Deontay Wilder, Joshua’s intended next opponent, suffered a shocking loss to Joseph Parker. That ruined the much-anticipated match. But, as they say, one man’s loss is another man’s gain. Ngannou saw his chance.
“That’s when I stepped in,” Ngannou revealed on The MMA Hour. He’d watched both fights. He saw an opportunity and he took it. A tweet, a call, and here we are.
Ngannou wasn’t at the event, but he watched closely. He’s got his sights set on both men. Joshua’s performance impressed him, but he believes he can offer more resistance than Wallin.
“He looked amazing. Respect to him, congratulations to him,” Ngannou said of Joshua. But he thinks Joshua had it easy. He plans to put Joshua in a less comfortable position. “I’m going to throw some bombs out there for him to deal with,” he warned.
Ngannou’s confidence is sky-high, despite only one professional boxing match under his belt. He made his boxing debut against Tyson Fury last October. He lost a controversial split decision, but he exceeded expectations, even dropping “The Gypsy King” in the third round.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, had been critical of Ngannou’s chances against Fury. He gave Ngannou his props but claimed he would be “easy work” for Joshua. Now, they’re set to find out.
“Eddie is a promoter,” Ngannou said. “He says the same thing all the time.” The date is set. It’s two months from now. If they think they’re going to have easy money, they’re mistaken.
“If AJ takes the punch that Fury took, I don’t guarantee that he’s standing up. I’ve heard that he doesn’t have a chin. I’m going to find out,” Ngannou laughed.
Despite the upcoming fight, Ngannou has no ill will towards Joshua. They share African heritage. Ngannou is from Cameroon and Joshua is of Nigerian descent. After he’s defeated Joshua, Ngannou suggests a rematch on African soil.
“It’s great stuff for both of us,” Ngannou said. “You are not fighting somebody because you hate him, you fight him because it’s a challenge.”
“Eddie Hearn said a lot of s***, but one thing he said that makes sense is maybe a potential rematch in Africa with Joshua. I think that sounds cool. We will call that Black Excellence,” he concluded.