Demetrious Johnson stands by his Francis Ngannou take.

In March, Ngannou was brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight boxing match billed as “Knockout Chaos.” The fight was so uncompetitive that just a few days later, Johnson claimed Joshua would beat Ngannou in an MMA fight.

As you can imagine, “Mighty Mouse” caught a lot or crap for that take, but one month later, he stands by it.

“It’s not like Francis is some world-class kickboxer,” Johnson said recently on The MMA Hour. “You look at all Francis fights, he does have some submission wins, he does have some where he takes somebody down.

“But if I can take a guy like Anthony Joshua, who is an athletic specimen, who understands range and distance, and I train him for six months — six months — to defend a takedown, check the leg kick, and just box. You’re not going to have 16-ounce gloves. The distance doesn’t change at all. … So if I can take somebody who is athletic, which, Anthony Joshua is athletic, it’s an easy fight.”

Johnson — the former UFC flyweight champion and one of the greatest fighters of all-time — argues the issue for Ngannou is one of styles. If Joshua was to fight a different heavyweight in MMA, things would not go as smoothly.

“Now, here’s the flip side: How would it go against Anthony Joshua vs. Jon Jones? Different animal,” Johnson said. “Jon Jones would go out there and force the clinch. He would go out there and force the wrestling exchange. Maybe Francis Ngannou would do that, but I don’t think Francis would do that. From the years I’ve seen him fight, that’s how I view that fight. I’m not saying Francis is going to get destroyed, but I do believe [Joshua] has a chance of beating him, because he just knocked him the f*ck out in a boxing match!”

“Francis has been very successful in the boxing world in MMA,” Johnson continued. “He boxes people. When he beat Stipe Miocic, yes he threw some leg kicks. That’s very easy to manage. It’s not like an Edson Barboza leg kick. But him and Stipe were going back and forth. Stipe actually rocked him.

Francis Ngannou has warned Anthony Joshua that he could “wake up in the white room” after their boxing match in Saudi Arabia.

Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, made his boxing debut in October when he fought Tyson Fury in Riyadh. The Cameroonian, 37, dropped Fury but lost a controversial decision in Riyadh, where he will box another Briton in “AJ” on 8 March.

Backstage at the press conference for the fight on Monday (15 January), Ngannou told The Independent and a select group of publications: “If I catch him, then he’s going to sleep. Remember, this is the heavyweight division and everyone is quite strong. You should keep your chin away.

READ MORE NEWS :‘Fastest heavyweight in the world’ – Anthony Joshua wows fans with blistering hand speed in latest training clip

“Don’t go there and sleep [underestimate an opponent] and say: ‘Oh, he’s not the hardest puncher.’ If you put your chin in the right position and get hit, even by the lightest fighters, then you might wake up in the white room. So, you better keep your chin away and fight smart.

“It is not chin-testing, it is a combat sport. I’m the hardest puncher, but I was in a 10-round fight and couldn’t knock out Tyson Fury, I couldn’t connect. [But] you can knock someone out if you can touch them.”

Joshua, 34, last fought in December, also in Riyadh, stopping Otto Wallin after five rounds to secure his third win in as many fights in 2023.

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The former two-time heavyweight champion was expected to compete in an IBF title eliminator next, before the surprise announcement of his clash with Ngannou.

Fury’s WBC title was not on the line against Ngannou, but the Briton will defend it against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk on 17 February, as the Ukrainian puts his belts on the line, too. The winner of that bout in Riyadh will become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 2000, and the victor of Joshua vs Ngannou may yet be next in line for Fury or Usyk.

FRANCIS NGANNOU is set to return to MMA for the first time in two years following his brutal boxing loss to Anthony Joshua.

Ngannou walked out on the UFC last year to pursue a lucrative switch to boxing but he did so after signing with the Professional Fighters League.

The PFL gave the green light for the move to boxing and the ex-UFC champion faced Tyson Fury, 35, in October.

He sensationally dropped the unbeaten heavyweight boxer only to lose a controversial split-decision.

READ MORE :Mike Tyson breaks down and analyses every active elite heavyweight boxer including Anthony Joshua

Ngannou then faced Fury’s British rival Joshua, 34, in March but it ended in a sickening second-round knockout loss.

And the second successive boxing defeat looks to have sent the Cameroonian hero back to MMA for his next bout.

PFL boss Donn Davis said: “We talked to Francis and he said before the fight in Saudi Arabia that he planned to come in MMA this year.

“It just depended on the outcome of that fight, he said if he lost that it’s be sooner and if he won it’d be later, so it’ll be sooner.

“He says he is recharging, he went home to Cameroon after the fight.”

RELATED :Derek Chisora claims he knows who Anthony Joshua is fighting next, and it’s not Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk

Brazilian Renan Ferreira, 34, knocked out ex-UFC star Ryan Bader, 40, in 20 seconds in February to earn a fight with the returning Ngannou.

SunSport understands another PFL pay-per-view is heading back to Saudi with Ngannou to top it.

“It’s be a little over two years since we’ve seen in MMA and we are excited to see him in the SmartCage against Renan Ferreira.”

Anthony Joshua showed off his kickboxing skills during a gruelling training session on Monday.

AJ is currently ticking over in the gym after dispatching former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou inside two rounds in his last outing in March.

The Cameroonian cage fighter had caused Tyson Fury all kinds of problems during their nip-and-tuck affair five months prior.

However, Joshua faced no such challenges as he dropped Ngannou twice before sending him down and out with a clubbing right hand.

The finish was incredibly conclusive but after witnessing Joshua throwing some kicks on the pads in training earlier today, fans want to see the heavyweight titans rematch in MMA.

READ MORE :Eddie Hearn names mega prize money Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua would earn from fight

Reacting to the video, which was uploaded to Joshua’s Instagram story, one fan wrote: “Bro is coming to finish Ngannou off in MMA.”

Another tweeted: “Rematch with Ngannou but MMA this time.”

A third added: “Might as well go to MMA and KO Ngannou.”

But not everyone was as impressed with what they were seeing.

One supporter remarked: “That’s horrific.”

Another wrote: “Looking stiff asf.”

Meanwhile, a third added: “Can see the kick, cook a full five-course meal, go to sleep, wake up, go to work, come back and then dodge

Joshua recently confirmed that he will return to the ring in September.

The Watford powerhouse had hoped to fight again in June but it appears his team are holding out for something big later in the year.

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced last month that he is planning a ‘huge’ boxing show at Wembley in September – and logic suggests AJ could be part of that card.

That could mean Joshua fighting for the soon-to-be-vacated IBF title or boxing the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Fury if the loser accepts a step-aside fee to let it happen.

AJ won’t be staying in boxing for long though.

The 34-year-old revealed last week that his initial career plan was to retire at the age of 35 this October.

He’s not said he intends to fight on for two more years, but it appears the curtain is beginning to fall on Joshua’s boxing career either way.

‘AJ’ extended his unbeaten run to four fights by KO’ing Ngannou last month and he admitted his next fight won’t take place until September

Anthony Joshua has confirmed he will return to the ring in September following his KO win against Francis Ngannou.

READ MORE :Frazer Clarke will supersede Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to British heavyweight record if he beats Fabio Wardley

Former two-time heavyweight world champion Joshua extended his unbeaten streak to four fights last month when he dropped Ngannou twice before stopping him for good in the second round. ‘AJ’ has been promised a shot at the undisputed world titles in his next fight, which Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are competing for next month.

When asked about his next fight on The Jonathan Ross Show, ‘AJ’ said: “Around September is when I’ve been told. I was hoping June. I’ve got some time to go on dates now and mingle a little bit. I’m training at the minute, I’ve got two months before I get into training camp.”

RELATED :Anthony Joshua beats Francis Ngannou with devastating early knockout to send message

Queensbury Promotions are hosting a Wembley Stadium event later this year, according to Derek Chisora, and he recently claimed Joshua will be headlining the card. “He will fight the winner of Daniel Dubois and [Filip] Hrgovic in Wembley. F*** it, I’ve got a big mouth. That’s the plan. It’s gonna be a sick, a little adventure for Turki Alalshikh to bring it back to London,” Chisora told iFL TV.

Dubois and Hrgovic have been linked to fight on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s undisputed clash, which takes place in Saudi Arabia on June 1. The IBF world title could be on the line if the organisation forces Fury or Usyk to fight mandatory challenger Hrgovic.

UPDATE :Derek Chisora claims he knows who Anthony Joshua is fighting next, and it’s not Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk

Joshua fought three times last year as he won an unentertaining decision against Jermaine Franklin before KO’ing Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin. ‘AJ’ made his professional debut over a decade ago and when asked about his retirement plan, he said: “I’ve always said 35. I’m 35 in October, I’m thinking another two years or so if my body holds out.”

Anthony Joshua produced a devastating early knockout of Francis Ngannou to send a shuddering message to the likes of rivals Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in the heavyweight division.

After an initially confident start from Ngannou on only his second professional boxing outing after he shocked the world by flooring Fury in October before dropping a controversial decision, the former UFC heavyweight champion was sent to the canvas in the first round after a punishing right hand from Joshua in Friday night’s huge main event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

READ MORE :‘Extra special’ boxing event in the works for Wembley Stadium, but it won’t be Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua

The two-time former unified heavyweight champion then knocked down Ngannou again with another powerful right in the second round, his opponent – who had been showing flashes of intent and trying to hold the centre of the ring – just beating the referee’s count before quickly being knocked out cold by a brutal overhand right in one of the most destructive stoppages seen in recent times – more than living up the ‘Knockout Chaos’ moniker for the event.

Ngannou was quickly attended to after such a damaging finish, receiving oxygen as he was helped onto a stool before thankfully getting to his feet and embracing Joshua, who again reiterated his desire to meet the winner of the undisputed showdown between reigning heavyweight champions Usyk and Fury, rescheduled for May 18 in Riyadh after a nasty cut sustained by Fury in sparring led to the postponement of their initial February date.

However, both Usyk – who has already beaten Joshua twice – and Fury have rematch clauses in their contracts, so it’ll be a while yet until a meeting with Joshua can happen for either man.

RELATED :‘Britain’s Mike Tyson’ sparred Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, one hit harder but the other is still better

Those rematch clauses also mean that the winner of the first Usyk-Fury fight will likely have to vacate the IBF title instead of facing mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic.

Joshua to face unbeaten Croatian contender Hrgovic for the IBF gold – the first world title Joshua ever won by knocking out American Charles Martin at London’s O2 Arena in 2016 – could feasibly be a possibility for the 2012 Olympic gold medalist later this year.

Anthony Joshua, the former two-time unified heavyweight champion, has hinted at his upcoming bout with rumors that it would happen even sooner than expected.

Though there were first hopes for a longer break, Joshua, whose career has taken off over the last year, is ready to return to the ring.

READ MORE ;JOSH IN TIME Anthony Joshua in line for world title fight BEFORE facing winner of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk

After a turbulent 2021 and 2022 in which he lost his belts to the unbeaten Oleksandr Usyk and then was unable to win them back in a rematch, Joshua has painstakingly returned to his previous level of performance.

Many had assumed that Joshua would wait to comment on the results of the May 18 fight between Tyson Fury and Usyk, or that he may face Fillip Hrgovic for the IBF title after that. However, the British boxer has thrown a curveball by agreeing to take on an opponent who has not yet been revealed.

UPDATE ;Date named for potential Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua mega-fight as AJ drops cryptic post over next opponent

Joshua hinted that he would soon be back in the ring in his Instagram Story.

The British celebrity is seen in the picture talking on the phone and captioning the image with the exchange.

There is a lot of conjecture surrounding Joshua’s opponent as he gets ready for his next fight possibly against Joseph Parker.

RELATED ;Eddie Hearn blasts Francis Ngannou BAFFLING excuse for losing to Anthony Joshua as he insists the ex-UFC fighter should know better

Filip Hrgovic will fight Daniel Dubois, while Deontay Wilder will fight Zhang Zhilei.

Relive coverage of Anthony Joshua’s explosive second-round victory over the former UFC world champion Francis Ngannou

Anthony Joshua propelled himself back into the heavyweight world title picture with a destructive second-round knockout win over Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua, the two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, sent Ngannou to the canvas in the opening round of their fight and then felled him a further two times in an emphatic second round.

READ MORE ;Anthony Joshua world title hopes dealt serious blow as Filip Hrgovic ‘in talks’ to face Daniel Dubois

Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion of the world, appeared to be out before he even hit the canvas and required medical treatment before leaving the ring.

The heavyweight contest was just the second professional boxing match of Ngannou’s career, although the Cameroonian impressed in a split decision loss to WBC champion Tyson Fury in Riyadh last October.

Promoter Eddie Hearn afterwards called for Joshua to face the winner of Fury’s upcoming unification showdown with Oleksandr Usyk, who has twice before defeated Joshua.

Fury and Usyk will fight to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion in May, with a rematch agreed to take place later this year.

RELATED ;Carl Frampton tells Anthony Joshua who to fight next and it’s not Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk

Kila H: “Great win, but it’s pretty hilarious to see his manager say there’s no one in the world that can beat him and then in the next sentence show his record has 3 losses on it. Putting down Ngannou that early is no joke though, he’s got a serious chin on him. Now lets see them run it back in MMA.”

Isaac L: “That’s a perfect night for Joshua. A big knockout, embarrassing Fury and propelling himself back into the world title picture.”

Ngannou has switched back to an orthodox stance. His switch to southpaw wasn’t successful in the slightest. But it hasn’t done him much good — Joshua lands another right hand, which connects with Ngannou’s chin. The former UFC champion is once again in trouble.

UPDATE ;Francis Ngannou new boxing ranking confirmed after Anthony Joshua defeat

Ngannou rallies, but Joshua is making him look like a novice, and Joshua sends him to the canvas for a second time! Again it’s Joshua’s right hand. Ngannou gets to his feet but seconds over he’s down again, Joshua connecting with the right for a third time.

A savage knockout defeat versus Anthony Joshua has proven costly to Francis Ngannou’s burgeoning reputation as the fallout from a memorable bout continues.