12 January 2024 , 12:30
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Francis Ngannou has vowed to show his performance against Tyson Fury wasn't a fluke as he prepares to face Anthony Joshua.
Fury was shockingly taken the distance by former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou in their crossover fight last year. The Brit was expected to cruise past Ngannou and fight Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed belts two months after, but he was dropped and only won by one point in a scrutinised decision.
Fans were quick to downplay Ngannou's performance by insisting that Fury didn't train properly for the fight and had an off-night. Ngannou has responded to his critics by tweeting: "He got lucky last time. He won't be able to block out the noise this time. He can’t do it again, can he? We’ll see. Camp has started."
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Joshua was expected to face Deontay Wilder after knocking out Otto Wallin last month but their two-fight deal was ruined when Wilder lost to Joseph Parker. Ngannou took Wilder's spot and will now face Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia to close out Riyadh season. Ngannou was impressed by Joshua's recent win but explained why their fight will be different.
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“He looked amazing, respect to him and congratulations to him. He was doing his job properly, his speed was there and he was very sharp. On the other hand, I think there wasn’t a response in front of him. I think I will have a better response in front of him that will put him in uncomfortable situations and positions," Ngannou said on The MMA Hour.
“Things will change and be different. I will not just stay there and look at him, it’s going to be different. I’m going to throw some bombs out there for him to deal with. I think he’s going to be mindful of what he’s doing. Nobody still knows what I can do, that was my first fight in boxing and like anyone else I am just improving. The gap of improvement for a beginner like me is huge."
Joshua wants to challenge either Fury or Oleksandr Usyk for their undisputed heavyweight world titles if he beats Ngannou. The former UFC champion is hoping to rematch Fury if he beats 'AJ' insisted their second fight must take place by October, which seems unlikely given Fury is locked into a two-fight deal with Usyk.