LONDON – Anthony Joshua said on Jan 15 he is hoping that a fight against former mixed martial arts fighter Francis Ngannou will lead to a shot at becoming the undisputed heavyweight boxing world champion.
Former heavyweight world champion Joshua, 34, will face Ngannou, 37, in just his second professional bout in Riyadh on March 8.
Three weeks before that fight, Tyson Fury takes on Oleksandr Usyk, also in the Saudi Arabian capital, for the right to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999.
Briton Joshua won all three of his fights in 2023 as he bids to return to the top of the heavyweight division, with his most impressive performance coming in a fifth-round stoppage of Sweden’s Otto Wallin in December.
Cameroon-born Ngannou made his professional boxing debut only in October, when he knocked down WBC (World Boxing Council) champion Fury before losing a close decision.
“Every fight leads to somewhere, so this fight is my everything and we will see where it leads me,” said Joshua, as the fighters faced off at a press conference in London.
“I have got to take his mind and his spirit, it will be explosive. We can both trade and it will be a good fight.”
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn did not hide his ambitions for the former Olympic champion.
“The winner of this fight against the winner of Fury v Usyk, it’s been a long dream of Anthony and his team to be undisputed,” he said.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Ngannou has another shot at one of the biggest names in the sport after nearly ending Fury’s unbeaten record.
“I’m going to come as an underdog to win the fight. I will get this done,” he said. “The Fury fight is in the past and I will take this more serious because there’s more on the line, the undisputed.
“I heard that he (Joshua) doesn’t have a chin. I don’t know if it’s true or not. We’re going to find out.”
Co-promoter Frank Warren suggested the winners of the February and March fights could meet later in 2024.
“For the winner, the big fight’s happening on February 17, with Tyson and Usyk,” he said. “The winner of that, would we like to see them with the winner of this fight? Everybody in boxing would love to see that.” AFP, REUTERS
