Two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is preparing for former UFC superstar Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia tomorrow night, but friend of Ngannou and former ‘AJ’ opponent Carlos Takam has offered some advice to the Brit ahead of the bout.
Takam has taken part in 49 professional match-ups since turning pro in 2005 and has been sparring his close friend and fellow Cameroonian Ngannou for a number of years as they share a boxing coach in Dewey Cooper.
Now Ngannou could be looking to Takam more than ever, as in 2017, Takam challenged for Joshua’s unified heavyweight titles, losing by tenth-round knockout but offering a spirited and gutsy performance, despite being drafted in as a late replacement for Kubrat Pulev.
Speaking to Lucky Block, Takam warned Joshua that rushing in to get the stoppage if he manages to hurt Ngannou could be his downfall, claiming that ‘The Predator’ is at his most dangerous when he is vulnerable and labelling his power as ‘ancestral’.
“Francis is the type of guy, if you touch his chin and maybe he shakes like he’s going to fall, please don’t follow in and try to get him. At that moment, Francis is at his most dangerous. I can tell you that.
“When you land a punch on Francis and he shakes, if you try to jump on him and think you’re going to finish him, he’s going to finish you.
Francis has that killer instinct. He can break anyone at that moment. He finds that ancestral power and if it lands on you, you’re finished.”
Joshua-Ngannou takes place on Friday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the full card available for purchase on both DAZN PPV and Sky Sports Box Office.