20 February 2024 , 07:11
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Francis Ngannou believes his former opponent Tyson Fury is a more resilient fighter than Anthony Joshua.
Former UFC champion Ngannou put on a stunning performance in his boxing debut against Fury last October and is now gearing up for his second pro fight against Joshua on March 8. Ngannou dropped Fury and only lost by a single point in a controversial decision as he is hoping a win against Joshua can earn him a rematch against the heavyweight champion.
When asked whether he thinks Joshua would be able to get up from the same punch Fury took in their crossover fight, Ngannou said : “I have a doubt about that, Tyson has showed that he is very resilient. I saw him come back from a knockdown that you wouldn’t believe somebody would come back from.
"I think he is probably one of the most resistant people out there.
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"That is not a disrespect to AJ. I don’t believe that Joshua will take what Tyson did. Even going to the fight, I knew that even if I knock him down I will not get excited. That it wouldn’t mean anything because he always comes back, so I had to prepare for a very endured person. Psychologically that’s how I was."
Joshua then cheekily responded to Ngannou questioning his chin by saying: "Who hasn’t knocked Tyson down? So many people have knocked Tyson down."
Fury has been knocked down seven times in his professional career but has always got back up to win, asides from when he fought to a draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018.
Joshua was supposed to fight Wilder instead of Ngannou but the American ruined plans of an illustrious two-fight deal when he lost to Joseph Parker just days before Christmas. 'AJ' has backtracked on his original comments about a Ngannou fight being a "gimmick", something that has amused the former UFC champion.
“It’s still a gimmick fight, the fight is a gimmick. I think it’s very funny because I think of a gimmick fight like… this is a crossover.
"It’s my second pro fight. In my first two boxing matches I am taking on two of the top three heavyweight boxers of this generation, so quite interesting right? It’s a good challenge and it’s very interesting," he added.