Anthony Joshua to Next Confront MMA Star Francis Ngannou
Two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua (27-3, 24KO) is gearing up to make waves in the boxing world with an upcoming clash against former MMA champion Francis Ngannou. Social media is buzzing with excitement after Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn confirmed that the Joshua versus Ngannou bout is officially happening.
This unexpected matchup emerged when the planned fight with former WBC champion Deontay Wilder fell through following Wilder’s loss to Joseph Parker. Hearn mentioned the possibility of a fight with Ngannou after Joshua fulfilled his end of the deal by defeating Otto Wallin.
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Now, gearing up for his second professional boxing match, Ngannou will bear the weight of much more scrutiny. This is because when he first stepped in the squared-circle, Ngannou was largely written off as having no chance to best WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Instead however, the former MMA champion displayed impressive boxing skill and carried himself extremely well. In fact, there is a large body of spectators, many of which include boxing fans, who believe that Ngannou was swindled out of the victory.
Despite the controversial defeat, the WBC has ranked Ngannou in the #10 slot. Naturally, in the highly anticipated showdown in Saudi Arabia, boxing fans are eager to see Joshua correct the seemingly ‘fluke’ win. Yet, this dynamic puts a great deal of pressure on both fighters. In his bout with Joshua, Ngannou no longer has the element of surprise. He has now been seen in the ring, there is tape on him and a more specific game plan can be tailored. This could be significant.
At the same time, if Joshua has a poor showing, this would put a huge black-eye on the sport due to the long standing rivalry between boxing and MMA fans. Back-to-back stellar performances by Ngannou is sure to stoke this feud with a brand new gusto. In the end though, as always, we will have to wait and see how all the drama unfolds in the ring. Either way, this upcoming duel will have the industries buzzing with a whole new fervor!
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