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Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier is throwing his support behind fellow former UFC champion Francis Ngannou as Ngannou prepares for his upcoming fight against British superstar Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou, in his second professional boxing match, is set to face the former two-time heavyweight champion on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou made his boxing debut against WBC champion Tyson Fury last October, in a surprising turn of events. Despite being dropped in the third round, Fury struggled with Ngannou's style for the remainder of the fight, ultimately winning by a razor-close ten-round split decision.
Cormier, speaking on his YouTube channel, expressed confidence in Ngannou's potential for improvement in his upcoming fight.
"Can Francis do what he did before or exceed that? Because you’ve got to think that Tyson Fury that fought Francis Ngannou is going to have fought the worst version of Francis Ngannou there will ever be as a boxer," Cormier remarked.
"He was an amateur when he fought Tyson Fury. Now he’s shared the ring with the lineal heavyweight champion of the world, knocked him down, and fought a very competitive fight where some people thought he actually won. He will be better the second time around."
Despite Ngannou's strong showing against Fury, Joshua has been established as the favorite for the upcoming bout. Cormier, however, believes that Ngannou's chances are stronger than they might seem.
"You’re telling me after watching that fight with Tyson Fury, and watching that Francis Ngannou, that he still doesn’t have a better chance of winning?" Cormier questioned. "Especially when he’s fighting a guy that denied Tyson Fury."
Cormier emphasized the need for Ngannou to bring an even more aggressive approach against Joshua than he did against Fury.
Cormier's endorsement adds to the anticipation surrounding this highly anticipated matchup between two formidable fighters.