Anthony Joshua has received a warning that no matter how hard he hits Francis Ngannou, the ex-UFC champion-turned heavyweight boxer will keep coming. The two fighters are set to face off in Saudi Arabia on March 8.
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Ngannou's Impressive Debut
This will only be Ngannou's second boxing bout, with his debut taking place in October against Tyson Fury. Despite knocking Fury down, Ngannou lost on points. Fury threw everything at the MMA star, including an accidental elbow, but Ngannou remained unfazed.
Assistant coach Andy Lee, who witnessed the fight, expressed his amazement at Ngannou's resilience. He said, "Tyson hit him with a flush elbow and he didn't even flinch. I think that you could hit that man with a baseball bat and he would still be there."
Joshua's Advantage
Although Joshua is considered an outstanding boxer and athlete, Lee believes Ngannou cannot be underestimated. The 37-year-old Ngannou made a strong impression in his debut bout against Fury, ending in a controversial split-decision. However, Lee thinks Joshua has the upper hand due to having ten rounds of Ngannou's fighting style to study.
"People are going to be interested because Ngannou put on such a great performance against Tyson," Lee stated. "But all of those unknowns that Tyson went up against have been dispelled now, the element of surprise in Ngannou is gone."
Lee also praised Ngannou's boxing skills, mentioning that he is clever, patient, and incredibly strong, weighing in at 280lbs of solid muscle.
Change of Opponent
Originally, Joshua had signed to fight Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia. However, Wilder's unexpected defeat to Joseph Parker resulted in the cancellation of their super-fight. Joshua then turned his attention to Ngannou.
The fight between Joshua and Ngannou is highly anticipated, with Joshua being favored to win. However, Lee warns that it is not a foregone conclusion and that Ngannou's strength and resilience cannot be underestimated.
