Joshua eyes knockout win against Ngannou

British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua said he wants to deliver a statement win by knocking out former mixed martial arts champion Francis Ngannou in their boxing bout in Saudi Arabia on Friday, March 8.

Joshua, who lost his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight belts to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, has won his past three fights as the 34-year-old looks to re-establish himself as a top contender in the division.

AJ has won 27 of his 30 fights, winning 24 on knockouts and is however expecting a different test against Ngannou in their non-title contest.

“I believe I can knock him out,” Joshua told Sky Sports.

“Definitely. I would love to knock him out and make a statement. Physically I feel strong, feeling good. Strong enough to get the job done and mentally I’m in a place where I’m ready for war. I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“Mentally I do not worry so much about my opponent and look at what my opponent can bring to me and think, ‘how can I overcome these challenges they present?’ I work hard to up my game and look forward to showing everything I have worked on.”