09 January 2024 , 09:57
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Francis Ngannou doesn't think Anthony Joshua will be able to withstand the same punches Tyson Fury did in their fight.
Former UFC champion Ngannou makes his second boxing appearance on March 8 when he closes out Riyadh season in Saudi Arabia against Joshua. Ngannou came within touching distance of beating Fury when he made his boxing debut last October, dropping the heavyweight champion and only losing by a point in a controversial decision.
And Ngannou said of Joshua on The MMA Hour: "I think most likely [I will] knock Anthony Joshua out. I think that he’s easier to go down than Fury. That was my first fight in boxing. As anyone, I’m just improving, and the gap of improvement for a beginner like me, it’s huge. I’m just a beginner improving. No one still knows what I can do.
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"Not that he’s not a strong fighter. He’s a very tough fighter, but he’s easier to send down than Fury, and it’s harder for him to get back up than Fury. If AJ takes the punch that Fury took, I don't guarantee that he is getting up. I have heard that he doesn't have a chin, I am going to find out."
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Joshua was expected to fight Deontay Wilder after his win against Otto Wallin two weeks ago, but Wilder came up short when he lost to Joseph Parker at the same event. Joshua is now unbeaten in three fights after his consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk but Ngannou dismissed any talk of 'AJ' being a new version of himself.
“He looked amazing. Congratulations to him. He was doing his job properly. His speed was there. He looked sharp, very sharp, but on the other hand, I think there wasn’t a response in front of him," Ngannou added. "I think I will have a better response in front of him that will put him not in such comfortable positions and situations.
"I think he's still the same fighter, that doesn't mean he can't lose. I'm intending to hand him a loss. Things will change. Things will be different. I will not stand there and just look at him. It’s going to be different. I’m going to throw some bombs out there, and he’s going to be mindful of what he’s doing.”