Anthony Joshua famously took a U-turn after he said his fight against Francis Ngannou would be a ‘gimmick.’ Such was the former UFC Heavyweight champion’s boxing debut. He brought down the WBC Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October 2023, only to lose by a point over a controversial split decision. Ngannou called out the judges for the controversial decision, hinting at a bias towards Fury. Perhaps because of an allegedly prevalent bias against Ngannou, a former Manchester United defender thinks he will lose the much-coveted fight against Anthony Joshua on March 08th in Saudi Arabia.

In his appearance on John Obi Mikel’s Obi One podcast, Manchester United veteran Rio Ferdinand dropped certain bombshells for the soccer fans. But in a turn nobody anticipated, Ferdinand predicted the outcome of the Francis Ngannou-Anthony Joshua fight. When Obi-Mikel asked him who would reign supreme, Ferdinand said, “AJ,” without any reluctance. Their fellow co-host contested his prediction. But Ferdinand replied, “I don’t think boxing allows Ngannou to win that fight,” perhaps hinting at the controversies associated with the Ngannou-Fury bout.

The soccer legend Rio Ferdinand is slowly becoming a familiar name in boxing circles. He was with Cristiano Ronaldo by the ring in Riyadh during the Francis Ngannou-Tyson Fury contest and the Anthony Joshua-Otto Wallin match. Therefore, the soccer icon is, in all likelihood, to have a clear prediction for the upcoming fight. Anyhow, Ferdinand’s backing of Anthony Joshua comes as no surprise because the two Brits go back a long way.

Ferdinand’s close association with Anthony Joshua

Rio Ferdinand hung his boots in 2015. However, he would return to sporting action in 2017. Not to play soccer but to become a boxer! Upon hearing Ferdinand’s boxing dreams, his friend and compatriot Anthony Joshua rushed to his aid. During a plane journey, Joshua agreed to spar with Rio Ferdinand and train him to boost his boxing career. Nonetheless, he failed to secure a license from the Boxing Board of Control and eventually called his boxing career quits.

READ MORE: Rio Ferdinand Recalls ‘Confrontations’ With Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United

Besides, back in 2021, AJ sought the United legend’s advice before his fight with Oleksandr Usyk as to what inspiration he could draw from Cristiano Ronaldo. Ferdinand asked Joshua to be brave like his former teammate CR7. Even while sharing such a warm connection with Joshua, Ferdinand expects his clash against Francis Ngannou to be a tough one. Ngannou took the United legend in awe after nearly knocking out Tyson Fury in his debut. After the match, he said Ngannou might be the next big name in the heavyweight category. What are your thoughts on the coveted Joshua-Ngannou fight? Let us know your prediction in the comments below.

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