Francis Ngannou Says He’s ‘Lacking’ This Factor Ahead of His Fight With Anthony Joshua

Francis Ngannou appears all set for the mega clash with Anthony Joshua. The 10-round fight billed as ‘Knockout Chaos’ will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is the second pro-boxing match for Ngannou. But the Cameroonian-French mixed martial artist believes he’s at a certain disadvantage in the third square-up.

Last year, after moving out of the UFC, where he held the heavyweight championship, Francis Ngannou joined the Professional Fighters League (PFL) sometime in May. But ‘The Predator’ had always nourished a parallel career in boxing. Finally, his dream came true last year, on October 28. He debuted against Tyson Fury at the same place where he will slug it out against Joshua. Putting in one of his best performances, not only did he knock down Fury in the third round, but it also allowed him a victory only by a split decision. However, against ‘AJ,” he believes things appear a bit more even.

Radio Rahim caught up with the former UFC heavyweight champion after the latest public workout session. The ace sports broadcaster wanted to know whether ‘The Predator’ felt that the fight with Joshua would be a walk in the park in comparison to the Fury bout. “You were so much faster today punching in combinations; I saw the body shots. This fight’ll be easier with Anthony Joshua than Tyson Fury?” he asked.

“No, no,” replied Francis Ngannou. Instead, he considers it to be a bit more challenging than the previous one. However, he has trained hard and is getting himself ready. Then he spoke at length about his training camps and how they were going to help him in the upcoming clash. However, he reckons that he might have lost the ‘element of surprise’ in the process.

He said, “But, uh, there uh element of surprise. I don’t have it anymore, so I was somebody was just telling me that yes, he was saying he’ll be watching my fight, but you know, I hope I still get some surprise for him.”

Francis Ngannou: From Thriller to Expected?

Francis Ngannou might have said that with a valid perspective. Though widely acknowledged as the most powerful hitter in the UFC, he largely remained untested and unknown as far as boxing skills went. On October 28, Tyson Fury entered the ring as the clear favorite. However, the way Ngannou fought shocked the wits of even the most die-hard skeptics. Furthermore, he received a significant boost by undergoing training with Mike Tyson.

Now that his skillset is fairly well known and his ring habits and way of throwing punches are familiar to a certain degree, it remains to be seen whether he can still turn the tables on a former unified champion.

Read More: How Much Money Did Francis Ngannou Possibly Make Against Tyson Fury?

Between Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua, who is your pick for the win on March 8? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

Also Read: Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou Livestream: When and Where to Watch in USA and UK?