Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou: Nigerian boxer targets knockout win against Cameroon MMA star

In their boxing match in Saudi Arabia on March 8, Anthony Joshua stated that he hopes to make a statement by defeating Francis Ngannou, a former mixed martial arts champion.

Joshua, 34, has won his last three fights and is trying to regain his position as the top contender in the heavyweight class.

Joshua lost his heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine in 2021.

Due to a disagreement over a contract with the promotion organization, Ngannou, 37, gave up his heavyweight title in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and left as a free agent in January 2023.

In October, he faced Tyson Fury in his first professional boxing match and lost by split decision.

Before his fight with Joshua in 2023, a tainted supplement led to a positive drug test; nonetheless, Dillian Whyte, a British boxer, was given the all-clear to resume boxing.

The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association's "adverse finding" from Whyte's random dope test back in August 2023 was heavyweight so the bout with Joshua was canceled.

Now Whyte will be aiming to contend in the heavyweight division.