"I don’t think it had ever been tested properly” - Anthony Joshua's coach claims Francis Ngannou’s chin was overestimated before their fight
Anthony Joshua faced off against Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Mar. 8 in a battle between two punching powerhouses.
The pair headlined the Knockout Chaos boxing event held in the Middle East, and given Ngannou's impressive debut against Tyson Fury last year, there was much anticipation ahead of his second boxing match.
With 'The Predator' having never been knocked down, nor knocked out, in his combat sports career, there were questions about whether or not a power puncher like Joshua would be able to finish the Cameroonian.
Eddie Hearn, the promoter of 'AJ', even stated that he was unsure what would happen if his client connected with Ngannou's chin.
Following the emphatic second-round knockout win for the British boxer, his coach, Ben Davison, shared his thoughts on the clash. He also stated that the talk surrounding the former UFC champion's durability may have been slightly misleading.
Davison recently appeared on The MMA Hour, where he said this:
"I don't think Francis doesn't have a chin, but I don't think it had ever been tested properly, to the extent that people were claiming it to be. I think he is very tough. He's known for it in the MMA world, and he showed that in the Tyson Fury fight. I just think no matter how good your chin is, when you get hit with punches that you can't see by somebody like Anthony Joshua, no chin's gonna hold up."
Watch Ben Davison's interview below from 11:30:
Francis Ngannou reveals struggles getting fired up ahead of his clash with Anthony Joshua
Francis Ngannou's sophomore appearance in the boxing ring against Anthony Joshua was a stark contrast to his debut against Tyson Fury.
'The Predator' went toe-to-toe with Fury for all ten rounds, and narrowly lost via split decision, with many believing him to have won the bout. But his clash with 'AJ' saw the former UFC champion dropped twice, in Round 1 and Round 2, before being knocked out cold in the second round.
The Cameroonian has now reflected on his performance during an Instagram Q&A with fans, where he revealed struggling with his energy levels before the fight. He said this:
"Leading up to the fight, that fight day it wasn't my day. It just wasn't my day. Not to say the result would have been different, but it wasn't my day... I remember being in the locker room trying to warm up, bro it wasn't going [well]. I was feeling asleep."
Watch Francis Ngannou's video below from 1:07: