UFC

ANTHONY JOSHUA thought “f***ing hell” when he heard Tyson Fury was starting on Francis Ngannou.Back in October, 35-year-old WBC champ Fury did 10 rounds with the MMA monster on his boxing debut and narrowly snatched a split-decision win after being dropped.Anthony Joshua was left shocked by Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou’s confrontationCredit: GettyFury had a heated confrontation with Ngannou in Saudi ArabiaCredit: GettyNgannou revealed he issued a chilling warning to FuryCredit: GettyOn Tuesday night in the Riyadh desert, as part of the AJ vs Ngannou fight week, Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh hosted a dinner with all of Friday’s boxers – plus the hyped-up Gypsy King.The 34-year-old Watford legend had to pose for a photo with his Morecambe nemesis but missed Fury’s most wild antics and was stunned to hear he tried to start a row with the 19st kickboxing and submission machine.“I wasn’t there when Fury was kicking off,” he explained about Fury fuming that Ngannou had called him a coward after their bout.“I just heard he was stepping to Ngannou and thought ‘f***ing hell’.Read More on Boxing“But apparently it was proper, he refused his handshake and promised to knock him out. But that’s Fury and Ngannou will have to get used to it on his boxing journey.”Joshua kept ice cool but admits that if he was given the choice to sit in a tight room with a host of past and present rivals, his RSVP would be brutal.He explained: “It is so funny because we all slag each other off online but that was probably the first time we were all in a room with each other and I realised there that it’s all bluff.“People don’t like each other but just because of that, it doesn’t mean that we are going to fight each other.Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS“Being there this time was the same situation so I knew how to handle it from past experience. I just stood in the corner, held my ground and scanned the room.“His Excellency invited us to house and we respect the invite but I think if the lot of us were given the invite and told it was our choice, a lot of us would say ‘f*** that’.”Brilliant moment Anthony Joshua reveals what music he listens to after airpods start playing during press conference and Ngannou jokingly nicks oneUnlike most of Fury’s previous opponents, cagefighter Ngannou held his nerve and his temper and sent Fury packing with a terrifying warning when they met.”I was very calm,” he grinned. “I told him, the only chance he has against me is in the boxing ring.“You can hit when standing upright but otherwise I know you can’t do s***.“The only moment he has a chance is when boxing rules apply, if you take them away, I beat him from Monday to Sunday and maybe twice on Sunday.” More

ANTHONY JOSHUA is under massive pressure to “OUTDO” Tyson Fury and stop Francis Ngannou in their crossover clash.The former two-time unified heavyweight champion will throw down with the MMA man mountain in a multi-million-pound Saudi showdown on Friday night.Anthony Joshua faces Francis Ngannou in a crossover clash on Friday nightCredit: GETTYFormer UFC champ Ngannou embarrassed Tyson Fury in his boxing debut last OctoberCredit: GETTYBoxing purists claimed Fury underestimated the Cameroonian clubberCredit: GETTYNgannou’s head coach Dewey Cooper reckons AJ is now under huge pressure to ‘outdo’ The Gypsy KingCredit: REUTERSFormer UFC king Ngannou, 37, shocked the world in his boxing debut last October, dropping Tyson Fury on his way to taking the Brit to a split decision verdict.Ngannou’s humbling of Fury left a black eye not only on the Brit but on all those in the boxing world who claimed he only had a puncher’s chance of winning the fight.And the Cameroonian clubber’s coach Dewey Cooper believes the weight of Fury’s shortcomings has fallen on the shoulders of AJ.The legendary boxing and mixed martial arts trainer told SunsSport: “I see him not being tentative.READ MORE IN BOXING”Why? Because he has to get that monkey off his back. “He has to outdo Tyson Fury. So he’s going to come out fighting.”Joshua, 34, was his malicious old self in his December destruction of former training partner Otto Wallin.Team Ngannou foresees more of the same in Friday’s Riyadh rumble, saying: “We expect him to come out strong and confident, the way he did against Otto Wallin in his last fight.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUT”That’s what he expects and we’ll be ready for it.”Power versus power, fire versus fire, thats what this fight will be.”Alamy Live News. 2WCEDJ4 LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM. 15 Jan, 2024. Anthony Joshua (left) face off with Francis Ngannou (right) during Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou Kick-off Press Conference at Here, Outernet on Monday, January 15, 2024 in LONDON, ENGLAND. Credit: Taka G Wu/Alamy Live News This is an Alamy Live News image and may not […]Many boxing purists put Ngannou’s success against Fury down to the Gypsy King treating him as nothing more than an easy warm-up for his undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk.But Cooper is refusing to buy what those critics are selling, insisting Fury was just incapable of getting the better of ‘The Predator’.He said: “When you have 30 minutes, it’s not a surprise. “When you have 30 minutes, it’s not overlooking someone.”Fury had 30 minutes to impose his will and show that he was a level above Francis. He couldn’t do it in 30 minutes.”So I don’t want to hear about underestimating – that’s garbage. Dewey Cooper insists Tyson Fury tried his best to stop Francis Ngannou but was unable toCredit: GETTYTeam Ngannou expect Anthony Joshua to be as aggressive as he was against Otto WallinCredit: Getty”That’s just a narrative of people not wanting to be wrong with their opinions in the first place.”Keep it real. All these guys that felt that way and that Francis had no chance were just wrong.”Accept it and don’t try to discredit the greatness you saw that night or the ability you saw that night.”Secondly, we’re glad that people have seen what Francis can do because it’s going to be further improved from that [when he faces Joshua].READ MORE SUN STORIES”Every fight, he plans on improving and we plan on him improving. “So I’ll wonder what they’ll say after this fight.”Dewey Cooper expects Francis Ngannou to shock once again against AJCredit: REUTERS More

FRANCIS NGANNOU delighted fans with the “Superman” punch that shows he wants to be kryptonite to a second British heavyweight legend.The UFC icon turned into Super Fran in an open workout as he practiced the flying blow he unveiled when shocking Tyson Fury last October.Francis Ngannou repeats the superhero move shown vs Tyson FuryCredit: GettyFight-lovers might wonder if Ngannou is pondering the same vs AJCredit: GettyAnthony Joshua trained in more typical style ahead of Friday’s boutCredit: GettyNgannou controversially lost that bout on points – but if Friday’s bout with Anthony Joshua maps out the same way, AJ might not be so lucky with the verdict.The Cameroon-born superstar, 37, was again in Saudi Arabia as he repeated the right-leg-back, right-fist-forward swing during his session with trainer Dewey Cooper.Six months earlier the superhero move surprised the world of boxing in the final round of his first-ever pro boxing fight against the out-of-sorts Gypsy King.And this time it had fans wondering if Joshua might face the same in another Riyadh blockbuster.READ MORE TOP STORIESAll-time great Mike Tyson, who trained Ngannou for the Fury bout, revealed the Superman punch was his idea.But it couldn’t help the MMA legend to a Hollywood ending as the unbeaten Mancunian beat him on a contentious split decision.One judge gave it 95-94 to Ngannou but the other two  but the other two scored the absorbing contest 95-94 and 96-93 in Fury’s favour.The former UFC heavyweight king will take on AJ a day before the usual scheduling for a weekend because the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is on Saturday in Jeddah.Most read in BoxingANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUTThe undercard includes Joe Joyce’s two-time conqueror Zhilei Zhang clashing with Joseph Parker – Deontay Wilder’s impressive vanquisher three months ago.But the main draw is Fury vs Ngannou.The Sun’s Wally Downes Jr tells Francis Ngannou his ‘legs are looking skinny’ and he’ll ‘give him some tips’ after media workoutThe outsider has famously power-packed thighs that might help propel him up, up and away to a Superman punch.But he joked withSunsport that his “legs are too skinny” and “needs weights”.he’ll certainly be the bee’s knees in a second major sport if he KOs AJ!Trainer Dewey Cooper puts Ngannou through a testing routine in publicCredit: Getty More

ANTHONY JOSHUA’S fight with Francis Ngannou is set to have a different set of rules.The rule change for the heavyweight bout comes at the request of the former UFC champion.Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou meet in the ring on Friday nightCredit: AFPNgannou will make his second appearance in the boxing ring against Joshua on Friday night.The pair are set to clash at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.However, the fight will not take place over 12 rounds as is usually the case for professional bouts.Instead, AJ and Ngannou will do battle over ten three-minute rounds, with the number of rounds reduced at the Predator’s request.READ MORE IN BOXINGThe mixed martial arts icon’s boxing debut against Tyson Fury was also contested over ten rounds.He knocked down the Gypsy King back in October but was ultimately beaten via split decision.His forthcoming fight with Joshua will be a standard boxing match at heavyweight outside of the number of rounds.Ngannou clarified his decision to make the request after being asked by the two-time unified world champion.Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSSpeaking ahead of the fight, the 37-year-old explained: “They told me 12 and I said ‘No, cut it out.’”I’m not taking a Mike Tyson fight as a reference like ‘Oh, I’m a pro boxer now’.Reliving Fury v Ngannou and how UFC fighters are moving over to boxing for better pay”No, I’m building it up. I just came into it, they asked for ten rounds or 12 rounds, and I said ten.”Ngannou amassed a 17-3 professional record in MMA before his transition to boxing, including 12 knockout victories.He had hinted at wanting a mixed rules event for his clash with Joshua after the fight was confirmed.Back in December, Ngannou said: “Anything that he wants. Ring or octagon.ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUT”The good thing is I’m the one that can go everywhere comfortably. My comfort zone will be the octagon, but I’m going to the ring and putting them in a bad spot in the ring.”I have my territory [in MMA] where they cannot mess with me. If they come, they will need something like some favour, like, ‘I’ll give you this, we’ll take kicks out.’”I have to give him something, but when we step in the ring, they don’t give me anything, and I still get them in trouble.” More

ANTHONY JOSHUA’S trainer has warned the Brit over the “serious threat” posed by Francis Ngannou.Ben Davison will be in AJ’s corner for the stunning crossover fight later this month.Anthony Joshua has been sent a warning ahead of his fight with Francis NgannouCredit: AFPBen Davison has revealed how AJ can triumph against the UFC legendCredit: Youtube – OneOnOneBoxingHe has worked with some of boxing’s top superstars, including Tyson Fury.And the respected coach is now looking to help Joshua rebuild his career after the Brit lost his world heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021.AJ’s last fight saw him cruise to an impressive win over Otto Wallin in December.And he now faces a tricky test against UFC king Ngannou, who controversially lost to Fury in his first-ever boxing match last year.READ MORE IN BOXINGDavison admits he has told AJ not to treat Ngannou lightly.The boxing expert fears the MMA star’s general fighting skills will serve him well in the ring again.But Davison reckons that Joshua can get victory by utilising his own “tool box” correctly.He told the One on One podcast: “(Ngannou) is a fighter, he’s a novice boxer, but he’s a fighter. He’s had plenty of fights and he’s had a boxing contest at the highest level.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS“He’s a serious threat, we’re treating it like a serious threat, we’re treating it like, ‘this is Ngannou, we need to be on it’.“Physicality wise, you couldn’t pick two other guys that you think, ‘I hope it’s not him’, in the playground or the bar!Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou Knockout Chaos fight preview with Sun Sport panel ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUT“As well as the fact that he’s a skilled trained fighter, now a boxer who has boxed at the highest level…“He had (MMA) fights where he’s won the world heavyweight title, he’s had a step up boxing at world level.“How can you not call him world level? You’ve got to consider him that, we certainly are anyway.”As for how AJ can emerge triumphant, Davison added: “It’s less adding (tools), more understanding“He’s already got this massive toolbox, it’s more a case of, ‘you know this tool, did you know it can be used for this as well?’“I don’t like the whole ‘rejuvenated AJ’, all we’ve done is help him understand his own tools and select the right tools for the job.” More