Anthony Joshua takes on Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Friday as he looks to avoid a major slip-up in his bid to become world champion for a third time
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou clash on Friday – and we will have all the latest news ahead of the heavyweight showdown.
Joshua will be looking for his fourth win in succession after recording three wins in 2023; against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin. The Brit should be preparing to take on Deontay Wilder this week but the American wrecked those plans when he lost to Joseph Parker two nights before Christmas.
Ngannou almost stunned the boxing world into silence last October when he dropped Tyson Fury in the third round of his boxing debut only to lose a controversial split decision after 10 intriguing rounds. Here, we will bring you the latest news from fight week in Riyadh ahead of the latest test in Joshua’s career…
Ngannou: Joshua is more serious than ‘playboy’ Fury
”Anthony Joshua never trash talks, his personality is more serious unlike Tyson Fury who is more like a playboy. I think when it comes to fighting, they both know how to fight and that’s what I’m focused on,” Ngannou said in an exclusive interview with Mirror Fighting.
READ MORE ;Francis Ngannou told five things he must do against Anthony Joshua in mega-fight
“He might have been nervous but that doesn’t mean anything, in fact I think being nervous means he is taking things very serious. It’s very important because he’s going to do his best to show up on the day with everything.”
Full fight card and undercard
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou
Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker
Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball
Israil Madrimov vs Magomed Kurbanov
Mark Chamberlain vs Gavin Gwynne
Andrii Novytskyi vs Juan Torres
Justis Huni vs Kevin Lerena
How to watch Joshua vs Ngannou
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou will be shown in the UK on both DAZN pay-per-view and on Sky Sports pay-per-view, costing just under £20. The fight will likely start at around 11pm in the UK and you can sign up for DAZN below…
Ngannou: I was born to fight
Francis Ngannou insists he is a born fighter who is capable of knocking out Anthony Joshua ahead of their bout on Friday.
Ngannou insists his lack of experience in the ring will not prevent him from springing a shock in Riyadh.
“I finished my training camp yesterday and I feel good,” the 37-year-old told Sky Sports News. “It has been a tough eight weeks to get here. I feel like I did everything that could be done.
“I believe if I land on anybody I knock them out. But the question is how to land, that is the hardest thing. How to carry that power and energy for 10 rounds and still be able to knock someone out after all the fatigue. I don’t have experience in boxing but, don’t make any mistake, I had a lot of experiencing in life, of fighting.
“I view my fighting spirit as high as anybody else’s. I don’t have any (boxing) experience but I know I can fight. You’re born as a fighter, you don’t become a fighter, I do believe that.”
Joshua the favourite
Anthony Joshua will start as the odds-on favourite on Friday – but so did Tyson Fury last October. On that occasion, Fury was dropped in the third round by the former UFC champion, only to recover and outpoint Ngannou after 10 rounds. This fight week feels different however, with no-one writing off the Cameroonian in quite the same way they did last year.
Welcome
Hello and welcome to our boxing blog! We’ll be bringing you the latest news from Saudi Arabia ahead of Anthony Joshua’s clash with Francis Ngannou on Friday night, an intriguing fight which will determine whether Ngannou can really challenge the best in the boxing business.
We’ll bring you the latest from the fight week events as well as all the news from a stacked undercard which features several other heavyweight stars and some homegrown talent.
