Anthony Joshua will face mixed martial arts star Francis Ngannou on Friday, March 8.
Despite bouts with Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder falling through, Joshua emphasizes that he had previously agreed to those fights, stating, “I don’t duck!”
He will enter the bout as a significant favorite when he faces mixed martial arts star Francis Ngannou on March 8th.
Throughout his career, Joshua has faced a succession of elite opponents, including Wladimir Klitschko, Oleksandr Usyk, Joseph Parker, Alexander Povetkin, and many others in between.
However, notable omissions from Joshua’s resume are American puncher Deontay Wilder and British rival Tyson Fury.
Joshua makes a case for himself
Anthony Joshua, however, emphasizes that although fights with those opponents never materialized, he had previously agreed to fight both men.
Discussions for a fight with Tyson Fury have experienced setbacks and ultimately collapsed in the past. Additionally, Joshua had secured a deal to fight Wilder this year, only for the American to endure a surprising upset loss to Joseph Parker, resulting in the cancellation of the arrangement.
The Wilder cancellation, Joshua told Sky Sports News, was “annoying in a way because in fight week we met up, we spoke to lawyers, we signed contracts, all that good stuff”.
“It’s a fight that fans want to see,” he continued. “I’m not saying it’s completely written off.
“It’s a fight where everything was signed and sealed. It just needed both of us to deliver. And he didn’t meet his end of the bargain.”
His willingness to take on that level of opposition says something about Joshua as a fighter.
“You now what it proved to me, I’ve signed to fight Fury, I’ve signed to fight Wilder, I’ve signed to fight a lot of people. I just do good business. I’m a good prizefighter, I don’t duck a challenge,” Joshua said.
“I’m always up for it. I just feel to myself I’ll always be here and ready to fight any time.”
Joshua was unable to reclaim the unified world heavyweight titles in his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk.
Since his last defeat to the Ukrainian, Joshua has secured three victories, and he intends to use the upcoming bout with Ngannou as a barometer to assess his position in the division.
“He had a good outing as well against Tyson Fury who is the current WBC champion. So I think it will be good for me to see where I’m at,” he said.
It’s a fight Joshua insists he won’t take lightly. “You should always overestimate people if you want my opinion,” he said. “Never underestimate anyone, always overestimate people and that way you’ll never be surprised.”
Ngannou will mark Joshua’s second consecutive bout in Saudi Arabia. However, Joshua anticipates returning to boxing in Britain before the end of the year.
“When will I fight back in the UK?” he said. “Maybe the fight after this one. Maybe after March 8 we’ll probably make a return to the UK.
“We’ll have a good window where we can get some fights in the UK possibly.”
For now, Joshua’s passion for the sport seems unaffected, and he is not considering retirement in the immediate future. He remains eager to continue testing himself and pushing his limits in the boxing world.
“On this quest for greatness how far can I push myself?” Joshua wondered.
“How much can my brain keep on going until it gives up and I’m like: I can’t do it anymore?
“I want to keep on pushing my brain and trying new things. Get quicker, stronger, smarter in the ring. Face challenges, because I learn so much about myself.
“And then when it’s enough, enough is enough.”
