JOE JOYCE has been going toe-to-toe with terrifying UFC star Francis Ngannou to prepare for his war with Daniel Dubois.
The heavyweight Brits clash at the O2 on April 11 in a mouthwatering PPV clash – as long as coronavirus does not cause the event to be cancelled.
Londoner Joe Joyce (right) has been trading blows with Francis Ngannou before his big clash with Daniel Dubois in April
Daniel Dubois will taken on fellow unbeaten British heavyweight Joe Joyce at the O2, near his Greenwich birthplaceCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
And 34-year-old Joyce, the Putney powerhouse who took his camp to Las Vegas to hunt down elite sparring partners, is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to beat the rapidly rising prospect.
The 2016 Olympic silver winner has drafted the 6ft 4in, 18st monster – nicknamed The Predator – into his camp under trainer Ismael Salas.
Before he jetted out to Vegas, Joyce told SunSport: “Being away from home suits me, I have too many home comforts at home.
“Waiting for a fight left me feeling a bit stale so I think taking myself away is a good move for me right now because I have to knuckle down and win this fight.
I don’t see any of the Vegan fun… just training camps and I know I’ll get great sparring.
Joe Joyce
“I don’t see any of the fun in Vegas, apart from enjoying the sunshine a bit more that British weather.
“It’s just training camps and I know I will get great sparring. Over in America and especially in Las Vegas, you can always get great sparring on tap.”
Ngannou has three defeats on his MMA record but all three have come via scorecards when his raw power has been negated by far more experienced opponents.
The Cameroon-born giant lost his world title crack at Stipe Miocic in 2018, just five years after taking up the sport as a homeless Paris immigrant desperate to follow in Mike Tyson’s footsteps.
But he has won his last three fights by first-round KO and is expected to bid for the strap again very soon.
Fearless Joyce did hundreds of rounds with Anthony Joshua during their years on Team GB in Sheffield together, so it is no surprise he has called upon Ngannou’s services while in Sin City, doing some of his training at the UFC’s Performance Institute.
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
