Francis Ngannou is set to go to war against Anthony Joshua inside the squared circle! The two men are set to clash in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a fight that is Ngannou’s second bout as a professional boxer. His debut came last year against Tyson Fury in a bout that was billed as, ‘The Battle of The Baddest’.

Ngannou made his move to boxing after a contract dispute with the UFC caused him to part ways with the promotion in 2023. He then signed with the PFL (Professional Fighters League) which allowed him to pursue his dreams of competing in the boxing ring, while still being open to future MMA fights for the organization. And so, ahead of his highly anticipated clash against Joshua, let’s explore all we know about Francis Ngannou’s gym, coaches, and his training for his fights!

Francis Ngannou trains under Dewey Cooper and Eric Nicksick at Xtreme Couture

Francis Ngannou began training in boxing at the age of 22 in his native country of Cameroon, and in past interviews, he has stated that he drew inspiration from legendary boxer, Mike Tyson. He later moved to France where despite a rough start and many hurdles, he found his way to the MMA Factory gym, where he began his training in MMA.

He then made his way to the United States and began training at Xtreme Couture under coach Eric Nicksick, after he was involved in a dispute with his old gym, the details surrounding which are unclear. Ngannou has trained primarily out of the Las Vegas-based gym for his previous fights, including the bout against Tyson Fury.

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Dewey Cooper is also a part of Ngannou’s team and is one of his top coaches. In a recent interview with ESPN, Cooper revealed that Ngannou will be training out of Saudi Arabia for the Joshua fight. Due to the logistics of the location for the fight, his team, including Eric Nicksick, will be joining him in Saudi Arabia for the fight camp, as revealed by Cooper.

In another interview with Daily Mail, Cooper broke down the details around his training for this fight. He revealed that ‘The Predator’ has been undergoing a 12-week training camp after the Fury fight. The camp includes training 6 days a week with 2-3 sessions per day which can last from an hour and forty-five minutes to 3 hours!

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While Francis Ngannou appears to be leaving no stone unturned in his preparation for Joshua, he has also revealed the fight may hold significance for his MMA career too!

 Ngannou confesses MMA future will be clear after Anthony Joshua fight 

Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champ, is ready for his boxing match against Anthony Joshua as it might give him a better perspective for his future in MMA! While boxing offers more money, Ngannou has also signed with PFL for MMA fights. But his plans depend on the outcome of his clash against Joshua.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, he stated, “Most likely MMA is this year, as well, because after tomorrow I will have a clear idea of the future of my MMA career.”

His comments align with PFL’s recent revelation that they already have an opponent lined up for his return to the cage. Renan Ferreira, the 2023 PFL heavyweight championship winner, secured the potential bout with a quick knockout of Ryan Bader in February 2024 in a cross-over event between Bellator and PFL fighters.

With both boxing and MMA options on the table, Ngannou’s performance against Joshua will likely determine his next move in combat sports, and even signal a possible return for ‘The Predator’ to the MMA cage! 

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