In just his second professional bout inside the boxing ring, Francis Ngannou will take on former unified champion Anthony Joshua on Friday, March 8, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Francis Ngannou last fought against Tyson Fury in October last year, where he put on a performance of a lifetime to nearly beat The Gypsy King. While he lost the fight via split decision, it did not come without a fight, which saw the Predator even drop the WBC Champion to the canvas and win several rounds comfortably.
Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua’s last outing inside the ring came against Otto Wallin, a fight he won quite convincingly in the fifth round after Wallin’s corner refused to continue the fight.
Ahead of their highly anticipated match-up, let’s look at the tale of the tape between both boxers.
Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua’s height and weight difference
Francis Ngannou stands at 6 ft 4 in or 193 cm compared to Anthony Joshua, who towers at 6 ft 6 in or 198 cm. The Brit will have a reasonable height advantage over Ngannou. However, it doesn’t look like much of a problem for Ngannou, who fared exceptionally well against an even taller Tyson Fury the last time around.
Anthony Joshua weighed 251 lbs for his fight against Otto Wallin last December. Meanwhile, Ngannou tipped the scale at 272.2 lbs when he fought against Tyson Fury. The former UFC Champion will most likely carry a massive weight advantage over Joshua on the night of the fight.
Ngannou will also have a reach advantage over Joshua by 1 inch. AJ has a reach of 82 in or 208 cm, while Ngannou covers 83 in or 211 cm with his arms.
ANNOUNCED 🚨
Anthony Joshua’s clash with Francis Ngannou on March 8th will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Box Office & DAZN in the UK 📺#JoshuaNgannou | #KnockoutChaos | #BoxingNews pic.twitter.com/PoFkFpTUsM
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) February 19, 2024
Joshua is 27-3 in his professional boxing career, and while Ngannou’s 0-1 record might not sound like much of a challenge for AJ, the Predator will once again look to upset the boxing world come March 8.
How do you think all these factors will play out? Will the significant weight and reach advantage help Ngannou, or will Anthony Joshua be too much for the former champ to handle? Do let us know in the comments section.
