Anthony Joshua will step into the ring with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou on Friday, March 8. Joshua has returned to form over the last year and will be looking to get the better of Ngannou, who lost a close fight to Tyson Fury on his boxing debut in October. Joshua has said he is aiming for a knockout win, while Ngannou is also confident in his powers ahead of the bout.
![picture](https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/1200x0/filters:format(jpeg)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2024/03/04/3922694-79686648-2560-1440.jpg)
![picture](https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/120x0/filters:format(jpeg)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2024/03/04/3922694-79686648-2560-1440.jpg)
Anthony Joshua
Image credit: Getty Images
Anthony Joshua wants to “make a statement” and knock out Francis Ngannou when they face off in Saudi Arabia this week.
Joshua will be looking for a fourth successive victory after beating Otto Wallin last time out on December.
But former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou could pose a tricky test.
![Fury 'not worried' about cut as he returns to training ahead of Usyk showdown](https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/420x420/filters:format(jpeg):focal(155x107:157x105)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2024/03/04/3922719-79687164-310-310.jpg)
![Fury 'not worried' about cut as he returns to training ahead of Usyk showdown](https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/42x42/filters:format(jpeg):focal(155x107:157x105)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2024/03/04/3922719-79687164-310-310.jpg)
BOXING
FURY ‘NOT WORRIED’ ABOUT CUT AS HE RETURNS TO TRAINING AHEAD OF USYK SHOWDOWN
20 HOURS AGO
Ngannou impressed on his boxing debut in October as he knocked down WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and only lost via a split decision.
“I believe I can knock him out,” Joshua told Sky Sports ahead of fighting Ngannou on Friday, March 8.
“Definitely. I would love to knock him out and make a statement.
“Physically I feel strong, feeling good. Strong enough to get the job done and mentally I’m in a place where I’m ready for war. I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“Mentally I don’t worry so much about my opponent and look at what my opponent can bring to me and think, ‘how can I overcome these challenges they present?’ I work really hard to up my game and look forward to showing everything I’ve worked on.”
Joshua has put himself back in contention for a world title shot after his recent winning streak.
He could be in line to fight the winner of May’s undisputed heavyweight clash between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, a clash which will be live on TNT Sports Box Office.
How to watch UFC 299: O’Malley v Vera 2, Page makes debut – Exclusively live on TNT Sports
But first he will need to get past Ngannou, who believes he has the power to knock out Joshua.
“I believe if I land on anyone, I will knock them out. The question is how to land? That’s the hardest thing.
“Almost everyone in this division can knock anyone out, but how do you land or carry that power and energy from first round to fifth round to 10 rounds and still hit someone hard or knock somebody out after all the fatigue? It’s a chess game.”
Asked about Ngannou’s belief that he could deliver a knockout, Joshua said: “I’m optimistic and I think, ‘brilliant, I want that’. I want someone in front of me who thinks they can knock me out.
“But let’s see how good they really are. I want to be right in front of them, making it difficult for them to achieve their goal and see how much they really want it.
“This Friday it’s going to go down, so I can’t wait for the opportunity to show my skills and combat this person who thinks he can knock me out.”
– – –
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing, NBA and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
News
Max Verstappen launches impassioned defence of his father amid ongoing Christian Horner scandal as world champion insists Jos is ‘not a liar’ after he called for the Red Bull chief to quit
Max Verstappen today made an impassioned defence of his father Jos, telling the world: ‘He’s not a liar.’ The triple world champion was responding to Verstappen Snr’s incendiary comments in Mail Sport on Sunday, in which he said Red Bull would…
REVEALED: Travis Kelce gained the second-most Instagram followers among sports stars in 2023 amid his Taylor Swift romance, while LSU’s Angel Reese came third… but who beat the Chiefs star to the crown?
Travis Kelce‘s Instagram following jumped by more than three million in 2023, owing to his relationship with Taylor Swift. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has been at the summit of the NFL for a number of years and, as a result, enjoyed…
Francis Ngannou tells Tyson Fury ‘I will beat you every day and twice on Sunday!’ in a heated encounter at the pre-fight press conference with Anthony Joshua(Video)
Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury shared a very tense exchange of words on Wednesday night, with the latter in attendance for the press conference ahead of the former’s clash with Anthony Joshua on Friday night. Joshua and Ngannou will take centre stage later this week in…
Amir Khan stuns fans with ‘very strange’ video of himself rubbing Mike Tyson’s hands
Amir Khan stuns fans with ‘very strange’ video of himself rubbing Mike Tyson’s hands Published Oct 29, 2023, 14:23:17 GMTLast updated Oct 29, 2023, 14:23:14 GMT Amir Khan has raised eyebrows among boxing fans after posting a bizarre video of himself rubbing…
Francis Ngannou could fight Deontay Wilder in a ‘mixed rules’ bout in 2024, would take place in a cage
Francis Ngannou could fight Deontay Wilder in a ‘mixed rules’ bout in 2024, would take place in a cage Francis Ngannou vs Deontay Wilder could take place next year. Published Oct 31, 2023, 13:52:29 GMTLast updated Oct 31, 2023, 13:52:28 GMT Francis…
Anthony Joshua promises ‘all-out war, relentlessness and a good fight’ when he takes on Francis Ngannou… as ex-UFC star insists he will ‘leave everything in the ring’ before heated exchange with Tyson Fury (Video)
Anthony Joshua insisted that he will be bringing ‘relentlessness’ in his Friday fight with Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia at Wednesday night’s press conference ahead of the fight. The British heavyweight star faces the former UFC icon on Friday night as he looks to continue momentum following an impressive…
End of content
No more pages to load