Anthony Joshua's next fight after Francis Ngannou already a work-in-progress, claims top promoter
Anthony Joshua's next fight after Francis Ngannou is already being discussed.
Joshua was last seen inside the squared circle in December against Otto Wallin. On the night, 'AJ' put on an impressive performance and secured a fifth-round TKO victory. While the Brit was billed to take on Deontay Wilder next, 'The Bronze Bomber' ended up losing his bout on the same night against Joseph Parker, which resulted in the former boxing heavyweight champion looking for other options.
Joshua ended up securing a bout against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. The bout will go down in Saudi Arabia on March 8, and further details are yet to be announced. Ahead of his fight against Ngannou, it looks like the Brit's next fight against 'The Predator' is already in the works.
As revealed by boxing promoter Ben Shalom, the WBA could order a heavyweight championship eliminator bout between Joshua and Martin Bakole. Bakole currently boasts a professional record of 20-1 and was last seen in the boxing ring against Carlos Takam back in October last year.
As per the latest WBA rankings, Bakole is ranked as the No.1 heavyweight in the world ahead of Joshua.
Francis Ngannou predicts the outcome of his fight against Anthony Joshua
Former UFC star Francis Ngannou has become one of the most talked about names in heavyweight boxing in a rather short period of time. After leaving the UFC in early 2023, Ngannou secured a bout against Tyson Fury.
While Ngannou went into the fight as a massive underdog, he exceeded everyone's expectations and put on a great performance but ended up losing a controversial split decision loss.
Now, Ngannou is set to lock horns against Joshua, and it's safe to say that he is going into the fight with supreme confidence. During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, 'The Predator' gave a prediction for his upcoming fight and said:
"How I win on March 8? It doesn't matter. I think, most likely, I will knock Anthony Joshua out. I think he's easier to go down than Fury, not like he's not a strong fighter. He's a very tough fighter, but he's easier to send down than Fury, and it's harder for him to get back up than Fury."
Catch Francis Ngannou's prediction for his fight against Anthony Joshua below: