Fights in Saudi Arabia are no different from movies at this point! It’s extravagant, flashy, and holds immense entertainment value. Plus, the twists and turns Anthony Joshua has faced in the lead-up to the confirmation of his fight against Francis Ngannou make it even better. In a recent interview, the Londoner described how the March 8 fight was made after Deontay Wilder lost against Joseph Parker.

Before the ‘Day of Reckoning’ event held in Saudi last month, Wilder and Joshua had signed a contract to face each other in March this year, but Wilder couldn’t keep his side of the deal as he lost to Parker. Having nearly defeated Tyson Fury in October last year, Ngannou became the viable option. However, until today’s interview featuring Joshua and Ariel Helwani, nobody knew what actually went on in the background! 

Anthony Joshua hasn’t given up on Deontay Wilder

While appearing in Helwani’s MMA Hour, the mixed martial arts journalist questioned Joshua whether he needed convincing to fight ‘The Predator’ after Wilder’s upset. ‘AJ’ revealed he didn’t completely give up on a fight against Wilder, stating, “The contracts were signed. And it’s still a big fight, still an amazing fight. It’s a crossover between [the] UK and [the] USA, all that good stuff promotional-wise.”

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However, Joshua suggested, “I kind of let that one slide for a bit,” considering a fight against Filip Hrgović and Andy Ruiz for the moment. It’s worth mentioning that a fight with Ruiz would have been his trilogy with Ruiz. Whereas Hrgović had called out ‘AJ,’ but nothing came out of it.

Not long after, his team had the idea of fighting Ngannou, claiming it was a good opportunity. So, Joshua agreed. “My team were like ‘This is a good opportunity on this day in Saudi Arabia against this opponent. What you saying’? I said let’s roll! Let’s go!” revealed AJ. While ‘AJ’ saw Ngannou worthy of his next fight, ‘The Predator’ has revealed how he will defeat Joshua.

Francis Ngannou knows what to aim for in the fight

During yesterday’s press conference for their fight, Ngannou reflected on the upcoming fight, saying, “I’m just a beginner out here that’s going to train really hard and come as an underdog to win the fight.” Speaking about his fight against ‘The Gypsy King,’ Ngannou claimed that the fight was in the rearview mirror, and now he has a new challenge in front of him. 

Turning to Joshua, the former UFC heavyweight champion remarked, “I heard that he doesn’t have a chin. I don’t know if it’s true or not. We’re going to find out,” said Ngannou. He further added that he wished to test Joshua’s chin during the fight. Later in the press conference, Ngannou even suggested, “Maybe I will do something that nobody has done before, and I really think I have the tools to do that.”

Joseph Parker to Fight on Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou Co-Main, Opponent Revealed

Path to Joshua’s March 8 fight wasn’t easy, but eventually, the Londoner got there, to his fan’s delight. However, would he become Ngannou’s victim like Fury? Or will the former unified champion prevail?

Watch This Story: Remembering Every Loss of Anthony Joshua’s Amateur and Professional Boxing Career