Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou – who wins? Expert predictions ahead of the heavyweight clash

Experts, fighters, and pundits have their say ahead of Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou’s high-stakes heavyweight clash in Saudi

By Afro Yard
March 8, 2024
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou – who wins? Expert predictions ahead of the heavyweight clash
Experts, fighters, and pundits have their say ahead of Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou’s high-stakes heavyweight clash in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua and Ngannou meet on Friday – live on Sky Sports Box Office – with a potential shot at the winner of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed world heavyweight championship on the line.

“This fight has grown on me since it’s been made, I’ve done my investigations into Ngannou and I don’t think anybody underestimates him this time. I’m not a huge MMA/UFC fan but I’ve gathered he’s more a boxer than a UFC fighter. He can punch hard, apparently, he’s the hardest punching person on the planet.

“The pressure is on for AJ because he’s fighting a newbie boxer with a record of 0-1. He should have the class to go in there and box rings around Ngannou, but anything can happen. Ngannou might be twice as good this time because he’s had a double camp.

Ahead of their heavyweight showdown live on Sky Sports pay-per-view, Francis Ngannou weighs in around 21 pounds heavier than his opponent Anthony Joshua, and the former UFC champion seemed to size up AJ during their head-to-head.

“There are unknowns for Joshua, the pressure is on him because he is the guy with the pedigree and he’s got to win. Ngannou is in that vibe where he’s talking about wanting to drag these guys into his domain. Whether it’s a tactic to undermine Joshua and say he’s the stronger, tougher, braver man or alleviate pressure, it might work or it might not.

“Ngannou proved a lot of people wrong, a lot of doubters wrong. He’s sort of got nothing to lose.

Anthony Crolla (former lightweight world champion)

“Myself, like many others, got it badly wrong last time. So many people wrote Ngannou off, he was trolled online over pad work and he was so much better than everybody thought. That uncertainty is gone and as a boxing fan, it’s making you look forward to it even more. He pushed Tyson Fury so close, that people thought he might have even won it. I think Joshua has got a little bit more to watch, they would have studied him.

 

“Joshua is a perfectionist, we’re getting a more confident Joshua than we’ve seen in recent times. Joshua was stressing the importance of activity, they say a happy fighter is an active fighter and I believe that with Anthony Joshua. Active Anthony Joshua is a happier Anthony Joshua and I think that’s why we’ve seen improvement.

“If Ngannou has improved from that first camp Anthony Joshua is going to have his hands full and more. It’s the fight game, so many little factors and they will all be answered tomorrow night.

“I’m going Joshua in rounds 4-6, I think we’ll see a devastating performance from Joshua.”

Dan Hardy (former UFC fighter)

“I think this is a much better fight for Francis Ngannou. Tyson Fury is tricky, he’s got good head movement, he’s smart, he’s wily, he’s got great footwork.

“AJ is a great boxer, very technically sound, but he doesn’t move like Fury, he’s going to be more hittable for Ngannou. Ngannou has now also got 10 rounds of confidence because he knows he can fight for 10 rounds in a boxing ring, and that to him was a mystery in his first fight.

“This may only be his second professional boxing match but I fully expect him to look much better this time around.

“I think Francis is going to most likely knock AJ down a couple of times in the fight, but if he can’t stop him I think Ngannou will win on points.”

Sean O’Malley (UFC bantamweight champion)

“I think Francis can definitely beat Anthony Joshua.

“His neck, his chin, he’s going to be hard to knock out and scary to sit in the pocket and trade with because he has insane power.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get the win.”

Dewey Cooper (Francis Ngannou’s trainer)

“Our goal is domination, we’ve got to defend that right hand he likes to set up and be attentive to the jab.

“I truly believe Francis can beat him outside and inside. My prediction? I said it at the press conference: the ferocious, furious, flaming, feisty fists of Francis Ngannou will finish Anthony Joshua.”

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