Amir Khan Predicts Francis Ngannou Will Make It Difficult For Anthony Joshua

JAKARTA Former British boxer Amir Khan predicts Francis Ngannou will trouble the world champion twice, Anthony Joshua, when they meet in the ring later.

Ngannou, who was once the UFC heavyweight world champion, is scheduled to face Joshua on March 8, 2024 in Saudi Arabia. Khan supports Joshua, but does not deny the dangers that exist in Ngannou.

"I think Joshua is a very smart fighter. It's still going to be a tough fight because you have to understand that Ngannou has higher confidence ahead of this fight. He thinks he can hurt and beat KO Joshua," Khan was quoted as saying by Boxing Scene.

Ngannou previously made his boxing debut on October 28, 2023 against Fury. In that match he lost a controversial separate decision (split decision).

Against Fury, Ngannou was not seeded. However, he managed to knock down his opponent in the third round, which almost made a big surprise to the boxing world.

After this appearance, Ngannou immediately got ranked 10th on the WBC. He was also taken into account and even seeded to enter the ring against Joshua later.

Khan says Joshua is one of the top fighters today. When compared to Fury, he is easier to beat by Francis Ngannou.

"The way people view boxing now, after a fight with Fury, is that boxers are slightly weaker than MMA fighters. This is where Joshua needs to show them that boxers are no weaker, but better and stronger," he said.

Anthony Joshua has won three consecutive fights since two consecutive defeats against Usyk in 2021 and 2022. The three victories were won against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, and Otto Wallin.