Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou Prediction: Crucial Bout Should End Early

Saudi Arabia will host a big boxing night on March 8th. The event will feature a ten-round fight in the heavyweight category between Anthony Joshua of Great Britain and Francis Ngannou of Cameroon. 

Joshua is an elite heavyweight boxer and former IBF, WBA, WBO, and Olympics 2012 champion. However, he lost all his belts to Oleksandr Usyk and could not regain them in the rematch. Joshua is determined to come back. After those setbacks, he has already secured three wins in a row, two of which happened early. Anthony has gradually raised the level of opposition. In his previous fight, he faced Otto Wallin, who sensationally beat Murat Gassiev, and forced him to withdraw.

The story of Ngannou is worthy of Hollywood. An African man from a humble background with no martial arts experience immigrated to Europe illegally. Despite his financial struggles, he pursued MMA and eventually became a dominant UFC champion. Francis disagreed with a new contract with Dana White and left the UFC. He then signed an exclusive contract with the PFL and had the opportunity to fight some of the best boxers in the world for a significant amount of money. 

Last fall, Ngannou had his first bout against Tyson Fury, considered the toughest heavyweight of our time. As a determined underdog, Ngannou surprised everyone. He fought on equal terms, sent the champion to knockdown, and almost won early. However, the fight went into the distance, and the judges gave the victory to Fury. This decision was controversial and did not please the audience. 

Ngannou has little chance of winning over Joshua. He can only rely on breaking his opponent's spirit and knocking him out. It's worth noting that Andy Ruiz and Oleksandr Usyk managed to do that.

I will not just stay there and look at him. It’s going to be different. I’m going to throw some bombs out there for him to deal with. I think he’s going to be mindful of what he’s doing. I’ve heard that he doesn’t have a chin. I’m going to find out.

Francis Ngannou

Anthony Joshua is determined to get back the throne. He is preparing for the fight with utmost seriousness and avoiding any clowning, unlike Fury. The Briton has several advantages: a great boxing school, vast experience in decisive fights, a heavy punch, and off-the-charts motivation. In contrast, Francis Ngannou can only offer a punch with even more killing power and the character of a fighter. 

As mentioned earlier, Anthony has problems with temperament. So, there is concern about how he will fare in a bout against a hurricane of mad rage, such as Ngannou, where the stakes are high. It is important to note that Joshua struggled against Ruiz and Usyk, who are less intimidating than Francis. Therefore, there's nothing left but to see how he will perform in such a high-pressure situation. 

He’s more of a plot fighter, kind of works well behind his jab, but I feel like we can find him there in the pocket rather than having to chase him down or try to hunt him down. So, there’s some differences there, but by that style of fight, if he’s going be there in the pocket, Francis will find you. There’s the X-factor that our guy always is going to carry, and that’s that power. Once he hits you — once he’s able to kind of dictate his power on somebody and make them move and make them vulnerable — I think that’s when really you’re gonna start seeing the good things happen in that fight.

Eric Nicksick, Ngannou’s head coach

In theory, Ngannou can pull a surprise, but it takes two to dance. Anthony should give him that chance, as he did with Fury, who was not ready enough and treated his opponent lightly. Joshua is still the favorite here, but Francis will also have his moments.