MMA

BOXER Jeremiah Milton’s opinion on who would win between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury has changed – having sparred them both. Milton was in camp before Fury’s trilogy bout win over American Deontay Wilder in 2021. Tyson Fury sparred Jeremiah Milton in 2021Credit: @dreamland_miltonAnthony Joshua was in camp with Milton in 2023Credit: @dreamland_miltonAnd then two years later, he shared rounds in Texas before AJ’s comeback win against Jermaine Franklin. Joshua, 34, has won three on the spin since and looked back to his best in December with a fifth-round stoppage win over Otto Wallin. And now he returns on Friday in Saudi Arabia against Francis Ngannou – who Milton has actually been in camp with. Ngannou, 37, put his MMA career on hold to cross over to boxing last year and floored Fury, 35, only to lose a controversial split-decision. READ MORE IN BOXINGAnd the recent run of form has left Milton tipping Joshua to secure British bragging rights over the Gypsy King. He told SunSport: “I’d actually back AJ to pull it off. “I think these guys all deserve to fight each other at some point, because it’s all speculation. But yeah, I’ve got AJ pulling that off.”Fury is set to face Oleksandr Usyk, 37, for the four-belt undisputed crown on May 18 after he pulled out of the February 17 date with a cut. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAnd Saudi boxing bosses want the winner of the unification bout to then meet Joshua or Ngannou. So it paves the way for the Battle of Britain to finally commence and Milton explained why he now favours AJ in the domestic dust-up. Boxers who have sparred BOTH Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou compare rivals and break down how fight will be wonHe said: “I think there has been a silent passing of the torch and it hasn’t happened on paper yet, it hasn’t happened in the ring. “But this whole triangle theory of, ‘Oh he’s the guy because he beat this guy.’ “It’s like we’ve got back to that somehow and once these fighters fight against each other on any given night they can beat somebody. “I think Joshua is actually the better one and I’ve shared the ring with Fury and I’ve got mad respect for Fury but I think Joshua is better because he’s more consistent. “And Fury might have a big of tricks and might be able to do all these things but it’s that consistency, it’s that ‘OK I’ve got good power and I’m going to work and continue to give it my best at all times’. I think these guys all deserve to fight each other at some point, because it’s all speculation. But yeah, I’ve got AJ pulling that off.Jeremiah Milton on Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury “Sometimes Fury might say he’s giving it his best but we don’t know, we just don’t know what we’re going to get. “So again just Joshua with the consistency and proving he’s going to step up and fight a lot of people at any given notice, yeah I’d have to say Joshua.” Milton is in Saudi after completing camp with Ngannou and remained on the fence when pressed on a winner in the AJ fight. He said: “It’s going to be a knockout. “There’s going to be a knockout. I’m definitely willing to tick on the ballet that somebody’s going to get knocked out. READ MORE SUN STORIES”I don’t think it’s that type of fight, both dudes get hit and that’s because they’re in the process of trying to hit and you get hit. “Two big punchers, what else could possibly happen? I don’t see it going to a decision.”Francis Ngannou had Milton in his camp More

ANTHONY JOSHUA and Francis Ngannou collide in a super-heavyweight fight appropriately billed “Knockout Chaos.” AJ stands 6ft 6in tall and 17st 13lb while 6ft 4in Ngannou is over 19 -stone making the pair man mountains. Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are set for a heavyweight showdownCredit: AlamyBut the fearsome fighters need brave sparring partners to help whip them into the sensational shape. And if you’re extra fearless, you spar BOTH men. That is the case for British heavyweight Darren Sealy, who spent two weeks with Ngannou before the MMA star’s boxing debut against Tyson Fury last year. But more recently, he jumped ship and spent three weeks in camp with AJ at Ben Davison’s Harlow gym. READ MORE IN BOXINGAnd then there is 11-0 American Jeremiah Milton, who sparred Joshua in Texas last year but has been in camp with Ngannou for this fight. And here, both Milton and Sealy break down how the two compare and where the fight could be won and lost. Power Milton: There’s different powers, right? So there’s a snappy power, there’s a heavy power, but all of it is cumulative and some of it can switch you off just like that. Most read in BoxingSo, I don’t know they both have the tools to put someone to sleep. Just look at the posters, how they drew these guys, they both really look like that. It’s crazySealy: It’s hard to say because power can be deemed in different ways. You’ve got thudding power, you’ve got power from a distance, speed and timing is power as well. But I’d say overall power it’s more so AJ. He’s been in with a world of different athletes and had to vary his power in different ways so I’d have to say AJ. But that one-punch knockout, we saw what Ngannou did to Fury in the third round and that was a really good counter punch but it came with speed as well. Ngannou with sparring partner Jeremiah MiltonSpeed Milton: They’re both athletic, they’re both fast. But a boxer gives you that shot that is more straight. But as the camp progressed, Francis started to sharpen up and putting those punches straight. At first I wanted to lead towards AJ in the speed department, only because his punches were coming off more straight and fundamentally but they’re both fast enough to get to the target. But towards the end of camp, I was really impressed with Francis’ improvements and I guess it shows he’s a coachable guy and he’s going to make the adjustments.   Sealy: AJ. I don’t think I have to explain that one but it’s AJ. Darren Sealy spent three weeks in camp with AJStrength Milton: Both of them are units but that MMA background and Francis is very strong in the clinch. But there’s always different ways to skin a cat so you can’t just rely on that. I would definitely say when Francis wants to put you somewhere and grab you, it’s hard to get out of that.Sealy: Ngannou, I wouldn’t say he’s stronger but he’s got very good inside presence. In the clinch he’s got the wrestling, he’s got the jiu jitsu so he knows how to hold onto you. If he wants to hold onto you and not have you move, you’re not going anywhere. Whereas AJ, I think he’s very good at creating angles, his punches come from different places.He’s strong through every punch, he’s got every punch in his arsenal to do the business but with Ngannou when he’s up close he’s very hard to get out of that zone.Ngannou and Sealy sparred before the Tyson Fury fightRing IQ Milton: You get in there and realise the ring is only so big and that’s a very big dude in the ring so the ring gets small after that. Francis’ IQ as a fighter is that of a fighter, he’s still learning how to navigate. Joshua is going to have that advantage of just being in a boxing ring more. But these tangibles, it’s like how much do you lean into those? Sealy: I’d still give it to AJ but it’s not as wide as people may give it. Ngannou showed a lot of attributes and skills with Fury, even went southpaw for a little bit. He brought a bit of MMA with the superman punch, he was having fun in there, looking comfortable and didn’t look too gassed in the end which is always good. I’d say ring IQ, I’d give it to AJ but Ngannou has a high level as well. Ngannou and Sealy spent two weeks togetherStamina Milton: I think this fight is going to come down to who wants it more because they’re going to have the same mentality and I don’t expect either to break. I think they’re going to keep clashing until on of their body’s just breaks and it goes before the mind goes. They’ve both shown similar engines but that’s in the mind too. So whoever wants it will show the will to get those extra few shots off. Sealy: I’d definitely base it on output and I’d say AJ but he sticks to the fundamentals and if he’s starting to break you down, he’ll start to vary it up. But he sticks to the game plan whereas Ngannou, I thought he stuck to the game plan very well as well because for me, in my humble opinion, I believe he beat Fury. I’d say in terms of output, punch distance, inside and outside, keeping things in range, it’s AJ.Milton in the gym with NgannouPrediction Milton: It’s going to be a knockout. There’s going to be a knockout. I’m definitely willing to tick on the ballet that somebody’s going to get knocked out. I don’t think it’s that type of fight, both dudes get hit and that’s because they’re in the process of trying to hit and you get hit. Two big punchers, what else could possibly happen? I don’t see it going to a decision. Sealy: I would give AJ the win. READ MORE SUN STORIESI’m not really a round prediction type of person but I do feel it will go past four maybe six rounds. But I think the output and the ring IQ, and it may come down to conditioning and fitness but I just feel AJ might have more strings to his bow.Anthony Joshua says deaths in boxing make him train even harder More

TYSON FURY had a heated run-in just moments before his amazing picture with Anthony Joshua and Cristiano Ronaldo. Fury is in Saudi Arabia to watch Ngannou in action against AJ on Friday, just five months after his controversial win over the MMA star. Anthony Joshua, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou pose for a snapCredit: https://www.instagram.com/tysonfury/The Gypsy King was floored in the bout and Nganou has insisted he was robbed of a sensational upset victory. So there was no love lost when the two heavyweight rivals came face-to-face again in Riyadh. Fury’s assistant coach Andy Lee told iFL TV: “Ngannou came in and Tyson pulled him up straight away and said, ‘Hey you, you’ve been talking about me in interviews saying I’m a coward, calling me yellow belly.'”But Ngannou in fairness was quite calm and cool and said, ‘I didn’t say that.’ (Fury said), ‘You did, saying you won the fight. I beat you. I beat you.’And Ngannou said, ‘No, no, no, I didn’t say that.’ ‘Yes you did,’ Tyson said. ‘What does your record say?'”Tyson said, ‘You take care of your man and I’ll take care of mine and I’ll give it to you again.’ He put it on him for a bit but it was interesting.”Fury, 35, faces Oleksandr Usyk, 37, on May 18 for the undisputed title after he pulled out of their February 17 date due to a cut sustained in sparring. READ MORE IN BOXINGCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAnd the winner between Joshua, 34, and Ngannou, 37, are in line to challenge for the unified crown afterwards. So Fury will have a keen eye on the crossover clash – but first he posed for a picture with the pair. Years of bitter feuding between AJ, Fury and Ngannou were put to bed as they all grinned for the camera. John Fury reveals what stunned him about Anthony Joshua after meeting him for first time as stars arrive on red carpetLee added: “When we were there, Tyson said, ‘It’s a bit weird, isn’t it? Us all being here together.'”There was Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren, Anthony Joshua was right beside him. Most read in Boxing”And I said, ‘It’s a good way to be isn’t it?’ And he said, ‘It probably is a good way to be.’ “We’re in a room, I don’t know how to measure it but it wasn’t a massive room but there was 20-odd fighters, all these big egos and big men.”I suppose it was bound to happen.”Ngannou knocked down Fury in their fightCredit: GETTY More

JAKE PAUL aimed a dig at Tyson Fury when breaking down Anthony Joshua’s fight with Francis Ngannou. Ngannou meets AJ in a huge heavyweight showdown on Friday in Saudi Arabia. Anthony Joshua arriving in Riyadh ahead of his fight with Francis NgannouCredit: GettyNgannou faces AJ in only his second boxing boutCredit: GettyIt will be only his second professional boxing bout, having made his debut against Fury, 35, in October. And Ngannou, 37, almost did the impossible by flooring the Gypsy King and taking him to the judges’ scorecards. But the MMA superstar was on the end of a controversial split-decision loss that saw the mother of all upsets denied. Still the performance was enough to bring Joshua, 34, to the negotiation table and Ngannou has been afforded another huge boxing payday. READ MORE IN BOXINGBut YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, 27, cannot help but side with AJ on this one. He told SunSport: “It’ll be interesting but I think it will be hard for Francis to beat a Joshua that has looked like his old self, whereas I think Ngannou had an old, lacklustre, not focussed Fury.”I want Francis to win, but I think it’s going to be tough for him.” Paul’s comments came as he made his own return to the ring in Puerto Rico. Most read in BoxingANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUTCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSHe knocked out 17-2 boxer Ryan Bourland in round one to improve his record to 9-1, with Fury’s brother Tommy, 24, the only man to have beaten him. Paul – who has claimed Tommy turned down eight-figure offers to rematch – instead set his sights on Canelo Alvarez after his latest KO. Anthony Joshua says deaths in boxing make him train even harderHe said: “I’m ready for the big leagues. I’m getting sharp, this is my life now and like I said, I’m on the road to world champion and hey Canelo, stop ducking.”I know you want it, I know you want it and I’m repping Puerto Rico, you’re repping Mexico so it’s Puerto Rico vs Mexico.”Jake Paul after knocking out Ryan Bourland in round oneCredit: Amanda Westcott/MVP More