Joshua eyes 'statement' win over Ngannou
Ngannou’s UFC heavyweight belt was vacated after a contract dispute with the promotion company
Anthony Joshua is eager to register a statement win over Francis Ngannou by knocking out the former mixed martial arts champion in their boxing bout in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
Joshua, who went down in his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight belt boults to Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, has clinched victories in his last three fights as the 34-year-old eyes the top contender spot in the division once again.
"I believe I can knock him out," Joshua told Sky Sports in an interview published on Monday.
"Definitely. I would love to knock him out and make a statement. Physically I feel strong, feeling good. Strong enough to get the job done and mentally I'm in a place where I'm ready for war. I'm looking forward to the challenge.
"Mentally I don't worry so much about my opponent and look at what my opponent can bring to me and think, 'how can I overcome these challenges they present?' I work really hard to up my game and look forward to showing everything I've worked on."
Ngannou’s UFC heavyweight belt was vacated after a contract dispute with the promotion company and departed as a free agent in January last year. He made his pro boxing debut in October against Tyson Fury, suffering defeat via split decision in the non-title fight.
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