"People have never put a dent in him" - Anthony Joshua isn't certain of knocking Francis Ngannou out, but says there are other ways "to skin a cat"
Anthony Joshua recently revealed his strategy for taking on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Joshua is scheduled to face Ngannou for a 10-round heavyweight showdown. The event, billed as 'Knockout Chaos,' is set to take place this Friday at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou surpassed everyone's expectations when he made his first walk into the ring in Saudi Arabia last year. There, he competed in his first-ever boxing match against the current WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Despite losing the fight via split decision, he put up a commendable performance.
Joshua had initially dismissed Ngannou's move into boxing but now he has changed his opinion regarding his opponent ahead of their upcoming 10-round fight. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Joshua acknowledged 'The Predator's durability. However, he remains optimistic about besting Ngannou in the fight.
He said:
''People have put dents in me. I’ve still managed to do well. I’ve seen him. People have never put a dent in him. Don’t bank on putting a dent in him because you’re going to come up short, so find another way. That’s why I believe there’s so many ways to skin a cat. Has he lost before? Yeah. So there is a blueprint.”
Joshua added:
''There's so many ways to skin a cat, so have to be optimistic. If he never been had a dent put in him, let me find another way to beat him.''
Check out Anthony Joshua's comments below (3:33):
Joshua is currently on a three-fight winning streak against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, and Otto Wallin, following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk
The current betting odds indicate that Joshua is a slight favorite. The Brit is currently listed as a -350 favorite, while Francis is back as a +275 underdog.
Israel Adesanya previews Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou fight
Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will return to the boxing ring against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In a recent video uploaded on the FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, the former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya shared his thoughts on the upcoming fight between Joshua and Ngannou. He said:
''When it comes to fighting I know 'AJ' can box, he's a specialist but I know Francis can fight and again, he showed in his last boxing fight that he could beat, if not the best, one of the best boxers of this generation or ever.''
Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below (9:47):