ANTHONY JOSHUA admitted he would get his “ass kicked” in MMA… but revealed he trained in martial arts as a youngster.
In an interview with GQ, AJ was asked how he would fare in the UFC octagon.
Joshua, 33, replied: “I would get my ass kicked.
“All credit to them guys, but it’s not my profession and I’m going to respect them guys who have spent years putting in time, training, grappling, wrestling, stand-up, takedown, submissions.
“It’s like them coming over to boxing, I know I would smoke them as well.”
Current UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, 36, has called out Joshua and his boxing rival Tyson Fury, 34, before.
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But it appears AJ has no interest in swapping the cage for the ring – despite having a bit of grappling experience.
He said: “I did try judo when I was younger.
“It was very challenging and when you’re ten-12 the last thing you want to be doing is getting flipped in the air and landing on your head, so I stopped.”
Joshua took some time away from boxing following consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, 35.
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But he is set to return in spring as part of a massive 2023, in which he believes a fight with Deontay Wilder, 37, will finally come to fruition.
Joshua said: “Let’s look to the future. It will definitely happen.
“We’re in the same division, we’re in the same era, that means the fight has to happen.
“2023 is looming, it’s a big year for boxing, and that fight will definitely happen.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
