Francis Ngannou has shared his early lean on the projected Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury boxing showdown, giving a narrow nod to the former WBC heavyweight champion.
Ngannou, who has faced both men in his only two professional boxing bouts, offered a measured assessment of the matchup. He knocked down Fury but lost a split decision in October 2023, then was knocked out by Joshua in March 2024.
"If I have to favor somebody, it's going to be very slight," Ngannou said, before clarifying where that edge goes. "I would say Fury because he's very slick. He's done well with professional boxing. He only doesn't understand when it's not a pro boxer."
Anthony Joshua is scheduled to fight Kristian Prenga on July 25 at an event called "The Comeback" in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of the Esports World Cup. It was announced that Joshua will then face Tyson Fury in the third or fourth quarter of the year on Netflix in a fight promoted by Ring Magazine.
Tyson Fury recently came out of retirement and defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision earlier in the referenced month, while Ngannou turns his attention back to MMA. The former UFC heavyweight champion, who holds an 18-3 MMA record, is scheduled to fight Phillipe Lins in MVP's inaugural MMA event on May 16 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
