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In recent years, the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts have become closely intertwined, with stars from both sports meeting in the boxing ring to showcase their various talents.
Francis Ngannou is perhaps the fighter who took the exchange of disciplines most seriously, colliding with world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury in his boxing debut last year, and even more than deserved the victory in a controversial loss. Ta.
Now, the former UFC heavyweight titleholder will be back in the ring, this time facing British former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
There is a lot of attention on the matchup between Joshua and Ngannou, with reports suggesting that a future title fight could be in the cards, with the winner potentially facing the winner of the long-awaited unification bout between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. .
Here’s everything you need to know.
Ngannou and Joshua will exchange blows on Friday, March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the location of Ngannou and Fury’s previous fight.
They will participate in a 10-round clash, with a ring walk scheduled for around 6 p.m.
ET/11pm UK time.
Fans in the US and around the world will be able to watch the event on DAZN pay-per-view, while Sky Sports will air the event in the UK.
Ngannou’s transition to boxing probably wasn’t surprising considering he began his fighting career in the ring.
Even before that, Ngannou had undergone an incredible journey, leaving Cameroon with only a backpack and traveling north through Africa to reach Europe, just to train as a fighter.
According to the Guardian, Ngannou struggled to cross the Mediterranean Sea by sea and was once detained for two months in an immigration center in Spain for illegally entering the country, but eventually arrived in Paris, where he He said he found a gym to train at. He remembers what he asked the owner at that time.
“I don’t have any money, but I want to become a world champion.”
However, the French-Cameroonian later moved to the Octagon and found great success in the UFC.
He won the UFC heavyweight title in 2021 by defeating Stipe Miocic and then defended it against Frenchman Cyrille Gane.
Ngannou later left the UFC due to contract issues and moved to the Professional Fighters League, but has yet to compete in the PFL and is instead focused on his boxing career.
His debut fight with Fury was held with much fanfare, but Ngannou lived up to expectations, exchanging blows with one of the sport’s greats, knocking down the British fighter in the third round of their encounter. Despite losing on points, many decided the fight in Ngannou’s favor.
Ngannou said he thought he won the fight with Fury and called himself the “underground king” of boxing.
Joshua himself was impressed with Ngannou’s play. “I watched the fight between Fury and Ngannou from home and from what I saw, I thought he won,” Joshua told Sky Sports.
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
Ngannou before his fight with Cyril Gane at UFC 270.
“This is not a gimmick, this is not a fight to benefit a broadcaster or just for entertainment purposes,” Joshua added.
“This is a serious fight against someone who is prepared and understands the mechanics of boxing, and he’s obviously put up a good fight against a generational great. I see it as something completely different.”
And while Ngannou is confident of victory over Joshua ahead of his second professional boxing bout, he also questions his opponent’s ability to withstand his power.
“I heard he doesn’t have a chin,” Ngannou said, according to Reuters.
“I don’t know if that’s true. I’ll look into it. I wish I had a chance to test it, that’s my wish.”
For Joshua, this battle is the next step on the road to salvation.
He broke into the boxing world with a 22-fight undefeated record, but two losses to Andy Ruiz Jr. and two losses to Usyk tarnished his reputation as a serious title contender.
The 34-year-old has returned to the competitive scene with a three-fight winning streak, but has yet to return to his former untouchable status.
Some said Fury didn’t take Ngannou seriously enough before the fight, but Joshuya doesn’t assume that.
“I don’t put that pressure on myself and I don’t think about it.
That’s my mentality, just thinking about winning and doing what I have to do,” Joshua said.
“This is a battle, a 50-50 battle. Anything can happen. Crazier things have happened before. That’s the reality. It’s a great opportunity for me to get back to work. If I were given this… If you miss your chance, when will you fight next?
“If you look at it, I’m not even at the start of my career, I’m not even in the middle of my career, and I think I’m probably near the end of my career.
James Chance/Getty Images
Joshua during his fight with Jermaine Franklin on April 1, 2023.
“Call me what you want. I’m happy to have a job and do it. I can’t wait for my next opportunity.”
A matchup between two British heavyweight boxing stars, Joshua and Fury, has been rumored for years, but never materialized.
If Joshua wins against Ngannou, promoter Eddie Hearn isn’t ruling out the possibility that the long-hyped bout could finally happen.
“Joshua’s dream has always been to be indisputable,” Hearn told the BBC. “If AJ beats Ngannou and Fury beats Usyk, the whole world will want Fury vs. Joshua.
“This is probably one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport. Certainly the biggest fight in boxing right now.”
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