The former unified world champion is not messing about ahead of the fight.

One of the cooler storylines in boxing that came about in 2023 was the debut of Francis Ngannou in a ring. The former UFC champion took the plunge from the octagon and shocked the world, knocking down Tyson Fury in a split decision loss that many believe he should have won.

With Fury in the rearview mirror, Ngannou will now face Anthony Joshua on March 8. Ngannou wants to once again spring a surprise, while Joshua wants to continue to build on a strong 2023 and move towards another world title shot.

Anthony Joshua: “I break people’s eye sockets”

Following the first face-off, Joshua spoke about the fight. Although he gave a lot of respect to Ngannou, Joshua believes he’s being looked over.

“I think people underestimate me, they think they can just put pressure on me because I am not mentally all that. As much as there is hype around Ngannou, he still has to come through me. I am a power puncher myself. I break people’s eye sockets. I broke Otto Wallin’s nose and eye socket, Robert Helenius got sparked out, and I f***ing ruined Dillian Whyte’s career with an uppercut. The list goes on. He has to deal with me and that is what is going to make it a good fight.”

Joshua has always been a confident character, but he seems to have regained the spark that turned him into a two-time unified world champion.

With three straight wins under his belt and his power back under him, Joshua could be a nightmare for Ngannou to deal with. That said, Ngannous shouldn’t be taken lightly by anyone in a boxing ring.