After an electrifying show against Tyson Fury in a boxing showdown, Francis Ngannou is now preparing to face Anthony Joshua. The duo is set to grab a huge fighting purse altogether, but things for the former UFC heavyweight champion look much more promising.
According to a recent prediction by Forbes, the ex-UFC champ is set to surpass his entire UFC earnings along with what he earned against Fury in the boxing debut. ‘The Predator’ made around $3,779,500 in his entire UFC career, as per MMA salaries, whereas his last boxing crossover earned him a hefty $10 million purse. Ngannou is now expected to break this record by earning a staggering purse of $20 million against ‘AJ’. If that happens he will be surpassing his fight purse in the UFC and against Fury altogether. The fighter’s agent confirmed the same.
Not just this, but even Joshua has been expected to make a handsome amount. His fight pay might fall somewhere near to what Fury made against Ngannou. The boxing matchup against Joshua is going to be Ngannou’s second boxing fight.
His first boxing face-off was against ‘The Gypsy King’ in which Ngannou faced defeat via a unanimous decision. He attracted a lot of support from the A-listers for giving a tough time to Fury. The former UFC fighter also knocked down Fury on the canvas in round 3 surprising many.
Francis Ngannou on fighting Anthony Joshua
Both ‘The Predator’ and ‘AJ’ are two of the best heavyweight fighters in the world given their MMA and boxing records. Both these fighters are further honing their skills to lock horns in a boxing bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event is expected to take place on March 9, 2024, but it has not been officially confirmed yet.
During a recent discussion with the MMA journalist Ariel Helwani for his show The MMA Hour, Ngannou expressed his take on facing Joshua in the ring.
Ngannou responded to Eddie Hearn’s comment where Hearn called Ngannou vs. Joshua an “easy money” fight for ‘AJ’. The Cameroonian-French fighter fired his final shots and stated that he is going to test Joshua’s skills. He further expressed that he wants to know if ‘AJ’ has a strong chin that could take Ngannou’s hits. He said,
“If AJ takes the punch that Fury took, I don’t guarantee that he’s standing up. I’ve heard that he doesn’t have a chin. I’m going to find out.”
Ngannou’s ring skills against Fury have set a standard for his next fight. Moreover, the combat community is keen to see what more Ngannou has to offer. It will be interesting to see the duo stand against each other to prove their mettle and take home the victory.
