"I focus on myself" - Francis Ngannou talks about how he is unbothered about physical prowess of his opponents
Francis Ngannou recently detailed what goes through his mind when he prepares for a fight and disclosed whether he devotes any attention to what his opponent could be capable of physically.
'The Predator' will continue his boxing journey against Anthony Joshua this Friday in Saudi Arabia. Like the former UFC heavyweight champion, the Englishman is a physically imposing figure with knockout power, so it will make for an intriguing bout.
While speaking to Queensberry Promotions, Ngannou opened up about his upcoming bout and responded when asked whether he is worried about his opponent's physical prowess and mentality. He mentioned that those qualities don't faze him too much and that he worries about his own preparation instead. He said:
"You know, I usually [don't] focus on what my opponents are physically capable of, I focus on myself. It is the only thing that I can control. I can control my strength, my energy, and everything...I can't control what would I change? Nothing. I control myself and that's the most important." [2:16 - 2:38]
It will be interesting to see how Ngannou performs in his second boxing bout against another top heavyweight in Joshua and whether he will be able to shock the boxing world once again.
Check out the full interview below:
Francis Ngannou lists boxing opponents he wanted to fight
Francis Ngannou truly bet on himself when he declined to return to the UFC in favor of signing with the PFL, which allowed him to pursue his aspirations in boxing.
The former UFC heavyweight champion had an incredible performance against Tyson Fury this past October. Despite his loss, there were positive takeaways as he knocked down the lineal heavyweight boxing champion.
'The Predator's performance caught the attention of the boxing community and resulted in a bout against Anthony Joshua materializing next. During the aforementioned interview, the PFL star opened up about his initial boxing aspirations and listed the opponents he wanted to fight, which he is in the process of doing. He said:
"I always say whenever I get into boxing, it's going to be three names; Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder. And so far, the landscape hasn't changed. I think Oleksandr Usyk is adding himself on the list, but basically those are the premier of the boxing of this generation." [1:41 - 2:01]