‘I will deliver’ – Anthony Joshua warns Francis Ngannou

Former WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua OBE dropped a short yet calm message ahead of his blockbuster showdown with Francis Ngannou on Friday. Anthony Joshua and former UFC king Ngannou faced for the last time to check their weights for the pristine showdown on Friday.

Both fighters came in top gear as they looked forward to the main event in Saudi Arabia. Ngannou is up for his second professional fight having controversially lost via a split decision at the Battle of the Baddest to Tyson Fury. Anthony Joshua is also coming on the back of a strong showing against Sweden’s Otto Wallin that ended in a corner retirement for victory for the former world champion.

At their final weight checking before the fight, Joshua weighed 20lbs less than his opponent. While the Brit weighed 252.4lbs (18st), the Cameroon tipped the scales at 272.6lbs (19st 6oz).

Speaking ahead of the fight Joshua in a rather short but confident message said, “I will deliver. I am the postman.”

Ngannou on the other hand said more about his readiness. He said, “It’s the same mindset [as my last fight]. I have learned a bit from the last fight and camp leading up to this, but the mindset is still the same.”

Commenting on the opposition, he said, “It’s just the second boxing match, even though I’m taking on the two best in the world. I will be the underdog, prove I can make it and stand my ground.”

Speaking about why he has been seen smiling almost all the time throughout the week, he said he has always thought about what these fights would be if it was in Mix Martial Arts.

“I know we are going to fight in boxing rules, but it’s ‘what would happen if it was MMA rules?’. I would smoke these guys. None of these guys come to my backyard,” he stated via Sky Sports.

Joshua who is coming on the back of three consecutive wins having previously suffered two career-changing defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, is hoping to get back to fighting for world titles soon. If he can overcome the Cameroonian MMA hero turned boxer, he will have a date with Filip Hrgovic for a world title. That fight would also lead to him getting a chance to either face Usyk for the third time or square up against Tyson Fury for the first time.

Meanwhile, Ngannou has already booked his next fight as he is set to make his Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut. He will face the super fight winner, Renan Ferreira. The Brazilian beat his opponent Ryan Bader in under 21 seconds via knockout at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh