‘I Don’t Think That Was a Great Performance’: Francis Ngannou Talks Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and His Boxing Journey

On Friday, March 8, Francis Ngannou (0-1 in boxing, 17-3 in MMA) will have his next fight in boxing against Anthony Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) in the main event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the “Knockout Chaos” card being shown globally on DAZN. In preparation for fight night, Dan Rafael has spoken to Ngannou on the Fight Freaks Unite/Big Fight Weekend podcast about his upcoming fight vs. AJ and his narrow split-decision loss to Tyson Fury.

Francis Ngannou Boxing Journey

Reflecting on Narrow Loss to Tyson Fury

As Ngannou prepares to face AJ, he has spoken to Rafael about his journey in boxing, the monster fight coming this weekend and his feelings on the Fury bout: “I mean it’s great to get here, get into boxing after all those little dramas in the past” He continued and referred to boxing as “my dream sport.”

Reflecting on his opening two fights in professional boxing, he said: “I’m fighting the two best fighters in the world back to back. Who has done that before…nobody, Francis Ngannou.”

Read More: Ben Davison Warns Anthony Joshua Ahead of Francis Ngannou Clash

Looking back – to his professional debut against Fury, the Cameroonian heavyweight said: “My life experience was what gave me the confidence.” 

He added confidently: “I’ve always been the underdog. So coming into this fight (Fury) it was another day in the office.” When asked about the impact of his performance against Fury and how the result affected him: “I shook it off. Life is not always fair.” Despite pushing “The Gypsy King” all the way, he said: “Honestly, I don’t think that was a great performance.” He continued: “I believe I can do better than that.”

Listen below to the full interview between Francis Ngannou and Dan Rafael, and more on the latest “Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast.”

Francis Ngannou Next Fight vs. Joshua

Talking about surprising everyone, including Fury on his professional debut and Joshua now understanding the risks he poses, Ngannou said: “Then it’s up to me to find another way to be sneaky.” 

Explaining what he expects from Joshua: “Expecting him to come prepared and come for war. “He’s going to come with everything that he has.”

Read More: ‘Greatest Night In British Boxing History’- 5 Most Memorable Anthony Joshua Fights

Despite the recent confirmation of his return to MMA against Renan Ferriera, Ngannou – made it clear where he sees his future:  “That’s my goal, to combine (boxing and MMA) a little bit.” Talking about what could happen after AJ, he said: “If I win this fight – I’m going to fight for the undisputed. I will not step out and go fight MMA.”