Francis Ngannou didn’t hesitate at all when picking the winner of the Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua fight.
Francis Ngannou is one of only five people in the world who has stepped into the ring with both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, and he didn’t waste any time sharing who he thinks will win their big upcoming fight. Although it’s been a long time coming, the highly anticipated Fury vs Joshua match looks like it’s finally happening this year.
The famous matchmaker Turki Alalshikh confirmed that the two heavyweight stars are set to face off soon, though there might still be one last obstacle from Fury’s team. The fight is expected to take place around the holiday season, and boxing fans everywhere are buzzing about who will come out on top.
Francis Ngannou is especially well-placed to give his thoughts, having fought both Fury and Joshua. Along with Oleksandr Usyk (the only man to have beaten both fighters twice), Otto Wallin, Dillian White, and Wladimir Klitschko, Ngannou’s experience makes his opinion really valuable.
Ngannou lost to Fury by a close and somewhat controversial split decision, even managing to knock Fury down during the fight. Because of that, Ngannou thinks Fury has a slight edge over Joshua.
“If I have to pick, I’d lean toward Fury,” Ngannou said in an interview with The Schmo. “He’s very smooth in the ring. He knows professional boxing well, but he can get caught off guard when facing someone who isn’t a traditional pro boxer.”
Ngannou believes that his own MMA style surprised Fury, while Joshua quickly figured him out and used his technique to control their fight. Although Ngannou’s fight with Joshua was much shorter—only two rounds—he quickly realized how powerful Joshua is. In contrast, it took ten rounds for Fury to get the upper hand in their match.
Until we hear from Usyk or Klitschko, Ngannou’s take might be the best insight we have. Meanwhile, the MMA star is expected to make a surprising comeback, possibly facing Jake Paul, who was Joshua’s last opponent. Ngannou hasn’t fought since his match with Joshua, but Paul, known for his strong jaw (that survived a punch from Joshua), has called Ngannou “terrible” and says he would be an easy knockout.
It should be exciting to see how all of this unfolds!