March 07, (THEWILL)- Former unified heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has confidently declared he will “deliver” victory against Francis Ngannou when the two giants collide in Riyadh on Friday night. The British star weighed in at a ripped 18st 2lbs (114.48kg) for the blockbuster ‘Knockout Chaos’ event, almost two stones lighter than his former UFC heavyweight champion opponent, who tipped the scales at 19st 7lbs (123.64kg).
Despite his vast inexperience in professional boxing, Ngannou is the sentimental favourite heading into the bout, after his valiant split decision loss to Tyson Fury in October. The 37-year-old Cameroonian stunned fans by dropping “The Gypsy King” in the third round of that contest, his first ever in the sport of boxing. Ngannou has spoken of learning from that experience, but remains the underdog against the more seasoned Joshua.
The stakes could not be higher, with the winner of Friday’s bout expected to be in line for a shot at the undisputed heavyweight championship further down the line. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to clash for all four major world titles on May 18 in Saudi Arabia, with Friday’s victor surely dreaming of facing the last man standing from that seismic unification encounter later in 2024.
While respectful of Joshua’s boxing credentials, Ngannou has warned his foe that the playing field would be far more level if the two were to meet under MMA rules. “Sometimes it just makes me laugh a little bit, because we are going to fight in boxing rules, but what would happen if it was a ‘free’ fight under MMA rules?” said Ngannou. “I would smoke this guy. I am the only one to go in their backyard, none of them can come in my backyard. I would take two of them at once.”
For his part, Joshua remained typically self-assured, stating simply at the weigh-in: “Official prediction? I deliver – I am the postman.” The 34-year-old will be eager to get back into the world title mix by overcoming the dangerous Ngannou in what promises to be an explosive encounter under the bright lights of Riyadh.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
