Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou press conference LIVE: Latest updates ahead of fight in Saudi Arabia
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou went face to face at a press conference on Wednesday, just 48 hours before fight night in Saudi Arabia.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua will box Ngannou, a former UFC champion, in Riyadh on Friday (8 March), in the latter’s second fight in the sport. The Cameroonian, 37, made his boxing debut in October, flooring WBC champion Tyson Fury en route to a controversial decision loss.
Now Ngannou has returned to Riyadh for another clash with a Briton, as he prepares to face “AJ”, 34. Joshua’s last fight also came in the Saudi city, as he stopped Otto Wallin in five rounds in December. With that, the Olympic gold medalist made it three wins from three fights in 2023, following his stoppage of Robert Helenius and decision victory over Jermaine Franklin.
Joshua vs Ngannou has been billed as “Knockout Chaos”, but before the heavyweights trade punches, they traded words at Wednesday’s press conference. Re-live updates below.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
Anthony Joshua boxes ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou on Friday
Ahead of fight in Saudi Arabia, heavyweights go face to face at press conference at 4pm GMT
Ngannou, 37, made boxing debut vs Tyson Fury in October
Cameroonian floored Fury but lost controversial decision
Joshua, 34, seeks to build on three wins from three fights in 2023
Briton stopped Otto Wallin in December in most recent fight
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
18:15 , Alex Pattle
That’s all from us, folks. Thanks for following along! We’ll be back tomorrow with a live blog of the weigh-ins!
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
18:09 , Alex Pattle
What was being said here...?
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
18:05 , Alex Pattle
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou have chatted a lot about Airpods this week!
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:57 , Alex Pattle
Time for face-offs!
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:55 , Alex Pattle
Joshua tells Ngannou that he can keep the Airpod!
Ngannou: “Good luck on Friday night, see you then.”
Joshua: “Respect.”
Warren: “It’s gonna be a marvellous fight, wherever you’re watching. Don’t blink.”
Hearn: “Tune in, Friday night, live on Dazn. An incredible card from top to bottom.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:53 , Alex Pattle
Joshua, when asked if he’s going to ‘fight fire with fire’: “One hundred per cent, let’s go.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:53 , Alex Pattle
Joshua: “We work for these people out here, it’s our duty to entertain them, but that’s what I signed up to do. Bring every challenge, and I’ll step up to the plate.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:51 , Alex Pattle
Ngannou seemingly has Joshua’s left Airpod! Joshua starts playing his music into his mic, however.
“I don’t know why there’s a big conspiracy about what I’m listening to,” Joshua laughs.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:50 , Alex Pattle
Joshua: “God is good, life is good, no complaining. We’re happy.
“All will be revealed. Straight-up war, relentlessness. That’s what people have come for, isn’t it? A good fight.
“It’s already written in the stars what’s gonna happen, I’m just following my destiny.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:48 , Alex Pattle
Joshua’s coach, Ben Davison: “There’s probably a false sense of confidence [that Ngannou has] taken from the last fight. I think it’s gonna be a totally different situation.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:46 , Alex Pattle
Eddie Hearn: “Every fight is important in this process to regain the heavyweight title. That’s what [Joshua] wants to do.
“This fight came out of nowhere [...] Ngannou earned the right to fight any heavyweight in the world. It’s a remarkable run as a fighter, and it’s a real challenge [for Joshua], but I don’t see any aspect that Francis is better in than Anthony. But he’s strong and he’s dangerous.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:43 , Alex Pattle
Ngannou: “I’m gonna leave everything in that ring on Friday night to come away with the win.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:39 , Alex Pattle
Ngannou admits that he struggled with 10 rounds against Fury, and that he may again on Friday, but that it’s a “learning process”.
Ngannou’s longest MMA fight was five five-minute rounds, but he is accustomed to knocking out opponents VERY early...
He also threatens to wipe the ring with Fury if they fight again (Fury is barking at Ngannou from the front row of the crowd).
“Respect the fact that the rules of boxing are protecting you.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:38 , Alex Pattle
Ngannou, when asked whether his body shots in yesterday’s open workout were a clue about his tactics on Friday: “Every space that I have, I’m gonna hit. Don’t you worry about what’s a clue.”
Ngannou also credits AJ on a “flawless” performance against Otto Wallin in December.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:36 , Alex Pattle
Francis Ngannou: “I think I haven’t shocked the world yet. I’m still in the ‘factory’, training, learning. When I really get it, that’s when I think the world is really gonna be shocked.
“I think I trust the process and the work that we’re putting in, so it’s gonna pay off.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:32 , Alex Pattle
Parker: “I feel dangerous, I really do, and Zhang’s going to feel the danger.”
There are also a couple of euphemistic puns from the New Zealander about Zhang’s “Big Bang” nickname.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:30 , Alex Pattle
Zhang: “Joseph Parker is a hell of a fighter. He’s young, he’s hungry, and he’s coming for the belt.
“I’m the tiger here. If you want to hunt, if you want to take the food out of my mouth, you’ll pay the price.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:28 , Alex Pattle
In his last fight, in November, Vargas suffered his first pro loss. However, that was up at super-featherweight, as he was outpointed by WBC champion O’Shaquie Foster
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:22 , Alex Pattle
Ball says he didn’t actually enjoy walking out to “Friday I’m In Love”. That’s a real shame.
He says of Friday: “It’s massive isn’t it, you only have to look around to see what’s happening. I’m made up to be here, I’m gonna take [the opportunity] with both hands.
“[Vargas] is No 1 for now, but come Friday night, that’s gonna change.
“I’m just chilling.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:20 , Alex Pattle
Eddie Hearn: “This is [Joshua’s] fourth fight in 11 months. It’s a message to all flagship fighters: You have to stay active.
“It’s been a blessing [...] I’ve never seen him punching with such ferocity, I’ve never seen him with such confidence, and I believe he’s the best heavyweight in the world – I do.
“I didn’t give [Ngannou] any chance against Fury, no chance of winning a round, but he won everybody’s respect that night. We take him seriously.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:12 , Alex Pattle
Joshua and Ngannou have now joined Ball, Vargas, Parker and Zhang on stage!
Now here come Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn, the latter of the two promoters emerging to “Smooth Operator”. Apt.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:09 , Alex Pattle
Nick Ball emerges to The Cure’s “Friday I’m In Love”. A certified classic, and a great reminder that this week’s fight night is on FRIDAY, not Saturday!
Muscle memory means a lot of us have had to swiftly correct ourselves after saying or writing that incorrectly this week!
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
17:04 , Alex Pattle
A bit of a wait for the main-event press conference here...
It should be under way shortly...
And here we go!
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:53 , Alex Pattle
Before Joshua and Ngannou headline Friday’s card, Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker will clash in the co-main event.
Zhang, 40, will defend the WBO interim heavyweight title against New Zealand’s Parker, who stunned Deontay Wilder via decision in December.
Zhang stopped Joe Joyce – who previously knocked out Parker – twice in 2023, winning then retaining the WBO interim belt across those fights.
Before Zhang vs Parker on Friday, Rey Vargas will defend the WBC featherweight belt against Nick Ball.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:40 , Alex Pattle
That concludes the undercard press conference! Joshua, Ngannou, Parker, Zhang, Ball and Vargas will be out in a few moments...
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:39 , Alex Pattle
The unbeaten pair of Magomed Kurbanov and Israil Madrimov will clash for the vacant WBA super-welterweight title on Friday.
Madrimov very much looks like Gennady Golovkin! He fights out of Uzbekistan, while Kurbanov represents Russia.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:36 , Alex Pattle
England’s Mark Chamberlain was added to this card after impressing Al-Sheikh repeatedly in recent fights, and he faces Welsh opponent Gavin Gwynne at lightweight.
Not a ton said between the pair other than, ‘I’m going to win.’
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:29 , Alex Pattle
Kevin Lerena, who tested Daniel Dubois in late 2022, is also in action on Friday. The South African takes on Australia’s Justis Huni at heavyweight.
Lerena has been training with Tyson Fury ahead of this one.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:26 , Alex Pattle
English super-welterweight Louis Greene is on the mic now, discussing his bout with compatriot Jack McGann.
“He likes to get in and get stuck in, I think it’s gonna be a good fight.”
McGann: “This is definitely a step up, it’s gonna be the toughest test of my career, but I believe that will bring the best out of me, too.”
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:24 , Alex Pattle
Saudi Arabia’s own Ziyad Almaayouf references Al-Sheikh as the “No 1 most influential person in boxing”.
Has he been reading our rankings? Al-Sheikh was quick to share our list in January, with Conor McGregor among those paying respect to the Saudi adviser...
The Independent’s combat sports power rankings for 2024
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:21 , Alex Pattle
Now we hear from 3-0 cruiserweight Roman Fury, brother of Tyson.
The 27-year-old is set to box 2-0 Czech fighter Martin Svarc on Friday.
Again, calmness and confidence on display from Roman.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:20 , Alex Pattle
Andrii Novytskyi and Juan Torres are the first to speak. The Ukrainian and the American are set to square off in a heavyweight clash.
Torres sounds confident, Novytskyi English is not the best, but he sounds calm.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:08 , Alex Pattle
Undercard boxers are starting to make their way onto the stage!
We’ll have an undercard press conference first, before Joshua, Ngannou, Zhilei Zhang, Joseph Parker, Nick Ball and Rey Vargas emerge for their own presser.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:07 , Alex Pattle
Tyson Fury also just added further credence to Turki Al-Sheikh’s suggestion that the winner of Friday’s bout could challenge the Fury vs Usyk winner later this year.
However, Fury and Usyk are expected to fight twice this year.
Al-Sheikh is the Saudi Adviser behind the Gulf state’s presence in the boxing world. He will be referred to numerous times at today’s press conference, largely as “His Excellency”.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
16:03 , Alex Pattle
Tyson Fury is on the pre-press conference panel, and he’s already been censored a couple of times.
I just about made out “ungrateful f***er”, seemingly in reference to Ngannou, and Fury admitting that he put in a “s*** performance” against the Cameroonian.
Fury does, however, credit Ngannou for surviving that stray elbow that the “Gypsy King” landed on him.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
15:57 , Alex Pattle
The room is starting to fill up in Riyadh, where this afternoon’s press conference is moments away from beginning.
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
15:50 , Alex Pattle
We’re approximately 10 minutes away from the start of the press conference! Don’t go anywhere.
Anthony Joshua’s coach highlights undervalued strength ahead of Francis Ngannou fight
15:48 , Alex Pattle
In an interview with The Telegraph this week, Joshua’s coach Ben Davison opened up on an underrated area of AJ’s game.
Here’s what Davison, a former coach of Tyson Fury, had to say:
Anthony Joshua’s coach highlights undervalued strength ahead of Francis Ngannou fight
Anthony Joshua reveals why he still lives at home with his mother at the age of 34
15:40 , Alex Pattle
Anthony Joshua reveals why he still lives at home with his mother at the age of 34
Anthony Joshua’s notes and a scary Francis Ngannou handshake: The details you didn’t see
15:30 , Alex Pattle
This is not the first Joshua vs Ngannou press conference; in January, The Independent was present at the first edition in London, and we documented some behind-the-scenes happenings for you...
Anthony Joshua’s notes, a scary Francis Ngannou handshake: The details you didn’t see
Real-life Rocky? Francis Ngannou’s story is beyond any Hollywood script
15:21 , Alex Pattle
When Francis Ngannou’s heartbreaking, tear-jerking, awe-inspiring, miraculous life is imagined as a motion picture – and it will be – Hollywood’s chosen scribes will trade sheepish glances in the writers’ room. Forget any fantasy film they have worked on, any cheesy sporting drama, any puffed-up biopic; they will ask themselves how to tone down Ngannou’s story, how to make it more believable, how to avoid raised eyebrows, rolling pupils and dismissive scoffs in cinemas.
That is because even the most creative, unhinged or audacious scriptwriter would not dare to conjure a narrative with the kind of backstory, plot twists and three-act structure that define Ngannou’s career.
The Cameroonian’s first act would take place in his country of birth, where at just 10 years old he was leaking streaks of sweat and drops of blood in a sand quarry in Batie. This start in life combined physical labour with a need to provide, a situation not fit for any child. That is to say nothing of the more relatable life-shaping events affecting a young Ngannou: his parents’ divorce when the future fighter was just six, a struggle to gain a formal education.
Yet even with that lack of education, Ngannou exhibited a precocious wisdom – one that explains so much of his impossible success...
Full article:
Real-life Rocky? Francis Ngannou’s story is beyond any Hollywood script
Anthony Joshua faces Francis Ngannou jeopardy – but holds key advantage over Tyson Fury
15:10 , Alex Pattle
Here is an excerpt from Steve Bunce’s preview of Friday’s main event...
“The fun carnival of boxing in Saudi Arabia ended in the third round last October when Francis Ngannou sent Tyson Fury sprawling to the canvas.
“The fun was finished in that shocking moment; boxing is not football, snooker, darts, tennis, Formula One or golf – boxing is far more dangerous, and the very best plans, schemes and bank vaults are useless against a well-placed left hook. One punch, less than a second in time, and the schedule gets ripped up.
“Big Francis, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion before he left the promotion to begin a boxing career, dropped Fury and that led to Fury pulling out of the “Fight of the Century” against Oleksandr Uysk, which was planned for December. That, in turn, led to Deontay Wilder fighting that night and losing to Joseph Parker; that led to Wilder not fighting Anthony Joshua and, instead, Joshua fighting Ngannou on Friday in Riyadh. It was just one solitary left hook.
“Ngannou vs Joshua is made for Saudi, it’s made for the new audience, it’s made for the money that is now available, and it will deliver enough thrills and spills to silence any purists. The Fury vs Ngannou fight was so much more competitive than most people expected; Ngannou’s family and liars believed it would be close. This fight, just Ngannou’s second under boxing rules, will be even better.”
Full article:
Joshua faces Ngannou jeopardy – but holds key advantage over Fury
Joshua vs Ngannou press conference LIVE
14:58 , Alex Pattle
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will go face to face at a press conference today, just 48 hours before fight night in Saudi Arabia.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua will box Ngannou, a former UFC champion, in Riyadh on Friday (8 March), in the latter’s second fight in the sport. The Cameroonian, 37, made his boxing debut in October, flooring WBC champion Tyson Fury en route to a controversial decision loss.
Now Ngannou has returned to Riyadh for another clash with a Briton, as he prepares to face “AJ”, 34. Joshua’s last fight also came in the Saudi city, as he stopped Otto Wallin in five rounds in December. With that, the Olympic gold medalist made it three wins from three fights in 2023, following his stoppage of Robert Helenius and decision victory over Jermaine Franklin.
Joshua vs Ngannou has been billed as “Knockout Chaos”, but before the heavyweights trade punches, they will trade words at today’s press conference.
