With just six weeks to go until Anthony Joshua takes on Francis Ngannou, people across the combat world are making their predictions as to what might happen.
One man who is well-placed to comment is UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. He is an experienced MMA competitor but has also sparred many rounds with Tyson Fury so can see things from both sides.
Speaking to Matchroom Boxing, Aspinall was asked for his view on the fight which takes place in Saudi Arabia on March 8.
“I’m very excited for it. I think it’s a great fight. If you’d asked me six months or a year ago I’d have asked you what this freak show gimmick stuff was going on.”
He then shared his disbelief at how Ngannou’s professional debut against Fury transpired.
“After Francis’s last fight, he shocked everybody. I’m a friend and former trainer partner of Fury and I couldn’t believe what I was watching seeing Ngannou live with him in there. For me that fight could have gone either way.”
With that he mind, he found it hard to call a winner for the Joshua fight, which some people have said is ‘pointless.’
“So yeah I think it is a 50-50 fight, I watched AJ’s last fight, and he’s come on loads, his confidence has come on, I know he’s working with a new trainer so I think that makes a difference and yeah, I can’t wait for that fight and I think it’s 50-50.”
Whoever gets the win is more than likely to then go into an epic undisputed showdown with the winner of Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk on February 17.
