Tonight, we witness the second instalment of Francis Ngannou’s (0-1) foray into the world of boxing, just over four months since his fabled efforts of dethroning ‘The Gypsy King’.
However, once again, the former UFC superstar faces an almighty challenge, as he attempts to tackle the revitalised version of Anthony Joshua (27-3).
For Ngannou, it doesn’t take a Freddie Roach or Teddy Atlas to figure out that his key asset and likely determining factor in his fight plan is his otherworldly power.
The Cameroonian will likely be remembered as the biggest puncher in the history of the UFC, knockout out his opponent in 10 of his 12 wins with the MMA franchise, all of which coming as a result of punches.
However, in 10oz gloves, Ngannou’s power in the boxing ring remains relatively unproven, with his knockdown against Tyson Fury being more of a balance issue from the Briton rather than an authoritarian power shot from the debutant.
Still, ‘AJ’ will not want to test Ngannou’s punch power and will likely seek to use his superior boxing skills rather than engage in the ‘knockout chaos’ that is being associated with the bout.
Joshua has now shown that he is capable of rolling back the years and becoming the ruthless finisher of old, answering his critics with a head-turning display against Otto Wallin, in his first fight under new trainer Ben Davison.
However, with those questions answered and plenty on the line, the clash with Ngannou is reminiscent of his rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr, where little risks were taken in the battle and his opponent’s power was taken away from him by the evasive, disciplined style of ‘AJ.’
We anticipate a similar performance to that of Joshua in the Ruiz rematch, where he was conscious of his opponents punch power and negated it well, so we are opting for a comfortable nights work and a boxing clinic from Joshua.
Prediction – Anthony Joshua by Unanimous Decision
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