Why Francis Ngannou will upset Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua aims to move closer to becoming a three-time world champion as he faces former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

The fight, which has been dubbed ‘Kockout Chaos‘, will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday.

Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight title holder, made his boxing debut last October, losing via split decision to WBC world champion Fury in a non-title bout.

Joshua, a former unified WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight champion, enters the fight on the heels of three consecutive victories. Before his recent winning streak, however, Joshua suffered back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Usyk is set to fight Fury for the undisputed heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia in May.

Here are three reasons why Francis Ngannou could pull off an upset against Anthony Joshua:

Athleticism

Ahead of their heavyweight showdown, Ngannou has a 20lb weight advantage over Joshua, which could give him an advantage in his second-ever boxing fight.

Ngannou weighed 272.6lb compared to Joshua’s 252.4lb and stated, “I know we are going to fight in boxing rules, but what would happen if it was a fight in MMA rules? I would smoke those guys.

“I have learned a little bit from my last fight, but the mindset is still the same. This is still my second boxing match, even though I am fighting two of the best guys in boxing.”

While Joshua is renowned for his punching power in the ring, some believe that Ngannou’s strength will come as a surprise to him after his display in his debut fight against Fury, who is considered a physically stronger opponent to Joshua.

A powerful puncher

Francis Ngannou is widely regarded as the world’s hardest puncher, and he is eager to showcase his skills when he faces Joshua.

Ngannou currently holds the record for the hardest punch in the world, registering a striking power of 129,161 units on a PowerKube (which measures the power of a punch by analysing its force, speed, and accuracy); which is equivalent to 96 horsepower.

In the UFC, Ngannou was known for his devastating power, securing knockout victories in 10 of his 12 wins in the promotion.

In his debut fight, he showcased certain skills that could prove quite useful against Joshua.

Familiar territory

Ngannou appears to have made Saudi Arabia his home. In his debut fight, Nagnnou faced Fury in the same country he will face Joshua for his second-ever fight.

He is friends with Cristiano Ronaldo and was present at the Riyadh Season Cup, which featured Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami against Al Nassr. He also met the Portuguese star in a separate event.

Ngannou appears to have gathered support from the Saudi Arabi crowd, which could be helpful during the fight.

The main event is expected to start at 11:30pm Nigerian time.