Anthony Joshua Thinks Ngannou Is The Biggest Challenge Of His Life

Less than three weeks remain until Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou face off in the ring, but the heavyweights have already had a showdown on camera. In a Face Off interview for DAZN, Joshua, 34, with a record of 27-3 and 24 KOs, and Ngannou, 0-1 as a professional boxer, discussed their upcoming fight on March 8 in Saudi Arabia and how it came to be.

Ngannou revealed that he saw an opportunity for the fight after Deontay Wilder's loss to Joseph Parker in December. "I asked for this fight," the 37-year-old stated.

"I saw an opportunity there, I was calling for this fight. This is an opportunity where I can slide in."

Joshua, who initially viewed the potential fight as a gimmick, had a change of heart after witnessing Ngannou's performance against Tyson Fury last October.

"It's the biggest challenge of my life," Joshua admitted. "I never turn down a challenge, and I'm looking forward to it."

Ngannou acknowledged the challenge ahead, considering it a crossover into boxing's elite.

"This is my second fight, my second boxing fight, so my two first boxing matches I'm taking on two of the top three heavyweight boxers in the generation," Ngannou remarked.

The conversation remained respectful but turned slightly argumentative when discussing punch resilience. Ngannou expressed confidence in knocking out Joshua but stated he wouldn't go looking for it. He also believed Fury could recover from shots that Joshua couldn't withstand. Joshua countered by highlighting his own resilience and underestimated strength.

As Ngannou hopes for a knockout victory, Joshua sees this fight as a stepping stone back to the heavyweight titles.

"I have to win, and when I win I'll move onto fighting for the championship," Joshua explained. "That's boxing; snakes and ladders. You win, you go up, you lose you slide down. I have to win to continue."

With both fighters preparing for a tough bout, the world is eagerly anticipating their clash in the ring.