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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 27: Francis Ngannou of Cameroon reacts after his victory over Stipe Miocic in their UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 260 event at UFC APEX on March 27, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 27: Francis Ngannou of Cameroon reacts after his victory over Stipe Miocic in their UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 260 event at UFC APEX on March 27, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 27: Francis Ngannou of Cameroon reacts after his victory over Stipe Miocic in their UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 260 event at UFC APEX on March 27, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Imago
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 27: Francis Ngannou of Cameroon reacts after his victory over Stipe Miocic in their UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 260 event at UFC APEX on March 27, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Joe Joyce is one of the hardest punchers in the heavyweight division. The undefeated Englishman goes by the nickname ‘The Juggernaut’, brought about by his superior power and approach to fights. Joyce has now congratulated the hardest puncher in the UFC, Francis Ngannou, with a touching message.
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Joyce, the current British, Commonwealth, and European heavyweight champion congratulated his UFC counterpart with a touching message.
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 13: Joe Joyce celebrates victory over Bryant Jennings after the Heavyweight fight between Joe Joyce and Bryant Jennings at The O2 Arena on July 13, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by James Chance/Getty Images)
The 12-0 boxer took to Instagram to share a message to Ngannou for his fantastic knockout victory. He shared a picture of the two in the ring from one of their training sessions. He then captioned it, “Big congrats to the new heavyweight champ @francisngannou. I’ve seen how hard this guy works down @ufcpi and he deserves all the success!”
This message showed ‘The Juggernaut’ thinks ‘The Predator’ deserves to be the heavyweight champion. Ngannou has an incredible story, and the heavyweight title was the pinnacle of this story. Thus, these comments from Joyce were a testament to Ngannou and his dedication.
READ: How Kamaru Usman Played an Important Role in Francis Ngannou’s Victory at UFC 260 ?
Can Joe Joyce replicate Francis Ngannou and become a heavyweight champion?
Ngannou’s victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 was proof that hard work and dedication to the cause will pay off. The UFC champion started training at 25 and still achieved his dreams of becoming a champion.
Joyce has a similar story to Ngannou. As a teen, Joyce tried his hand at Rugby; however, had to switch to boxing after an Achilles injury stopped him from pursuing Rugby. Therefore, he switched to boxing at 21.
Despite the late entry into the sport, Joyce enjoyed a successful amateur career and is on course to become the heavyweight champion. However, his bout against Oleksandr Usyk will determine whether the Englishman will challenge for the title.
Thus, if Joyce wants to replicate Ngannou’s success, he is going to have to beat Usyk and put himself in the mandatory position. Although he has the talent to match it, only time will tell if ‘The Juggernaut’ will match ‘The Predator’.
What do you make of this message from Joe Joyce? Do you think Francis Ngannou deserves the heavyweight title?