Eddie Hearn: Francis Ngannou is a dangerous fight for Anthony Joshua

Eddie Hearn is sticking with his man.

The promoter for former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua believes his man will easily defeat former UFC champion Francis Ngannou when the two giants meet on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The 6-foot-4, 272-pound Ngannou made his professional boxing debut last October against unbeaten WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

Ngannou Dropped Tyson Fury

Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) was expected to dominate Ngannou (0-1), who hadn’t fought in 21 months. Instead, he got dropped in the third round by a left hook and struggled down the stretch to a 10-round split decision win.

One judge had it 95-94 for Ngannou but was overruled by scores of 96-93 and 95-94 for Fury, whose world title was not on the line. Fury may have won, but Ngannou’s stock rose to new heights.

Fury may have learned a valuable lesson: never underestimate a man with a dream. Ngannou is the same man who risked being homeless to chase his dream of becoming a professional boxer. Ultimately, he came across an MMA gym in Paris that took him in. But that drive and determination have always been there.

Deontay Wilder Fumbled The Bag

Hearn and company had to call an audible after Joshua’s longtime rival Deontay Wilder was upset in a one-sided unanimous decision to former WBO titlist Joseph Parker. But as far as backup plans are concerned, although not a fight most hardcore fans are interested in watching, it will undoubtedly make both Joshua and Ngannou a lot of money.

“Obviously delighted, just a great fight,” Hearn said Monday on The MMA Hour.

“Everyone’s going to play my previous clips [of me saying] that Francis Ngannou couldn’t win an English title before he fought Tyson Fury. I feel like he’s earned that shot — or certainly to continue at that level. And I fancy the fight. You’ve heard me say before, I really believe AJ knocks him out. But he’s a dangerous fight. I know that this guy’s a big, big lump that can really punch, and I think he has no fear, which makes him dangerous. But I just feel like AJ’s in a great place, and I expect him to pick him apart and knock him out.”

AJ-Ngannou Becomes A Reality

Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs), 34, and Wilder, 38, (43-3-1, 42 KOs), had a deal in place to fight on March 9 if both he and the ex-titleholder won their respective bouts at the Day of Reckoning event on December 23. Of course, Joshua looked fantastic in a fifth-round stoppage of Otto Wallin, while Wilder was inconspicuous. The American’s loss subsequently became a massive potential business opportunity for both Joshua and Ngannou, albeit dangerous.

“You can’t really say that he’s not a credible opponent,” Hearn said of Ngannou. “I’ve heard Carl Froch and others say, ‘Oh, this is just a cash grab.’ No, this is a dangerous fight. Like, AJ actually has a lot to lose here. Coming off the Wallin fight, he’s in a wonderful position to go and fight for the IBF world title, which we hope will happen after the Francis Ngannou fight. But it’s kind of like, there’s a lot of jeopardy in this fight. A lot of jeopardy. If you lose to Francis Ngannou — Francis Ngannou is 0-1, right? So it’s not a great look, losing to Francis Ngannou. So he’s going to do everything he can to avoid that.

“They’re taking this very seriously,” Hearn added. “In their mind, this is the toughest fight of their career. Francis Ngannou is a very dangerous man, and they’ll be training, absolutely, with every ounce in their soul to be victorious.”