20 December 2023 , 11:50
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Anthony Joshua has revealed Francis Ngannou knocking down Tyson Fury has made him even more confident for a fight against his domestic rival.
Former UFC champion Ngannou fought tooth and nail in his boxing debut against Fury in October, only losing by a single point in a controversial split decision. Fury admitted the win was his toughest fight of the past decade as Ngannou out-landed his rival in power punches and dropped him in the third round.
When asked about Ngannou's performance in the crossover fight, Joshua flexed his biceps and told Sky Sports : "Imagine what I would do. Trust me, you know what I'm saying. The bodybuilders, the muscly Africans are coming back. You know what I'm saying. You know what's going on, I've seen it. I know."
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Joshua has been linked to a fight against Fury for years but the domestic rivals are yet to meet in the ring. 'AJ' labelled his countryman a "fat slob" when discussing the fight as he told TNT Sports : "I think Ngannou won but the judges are there for a reason, they score it how they score it and they're professionals at what they do and I'm just an observer. Fury won, but from a fan's point of view, I think Ngannou won.
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"Bodybuilders up, dossers down. Fury just looked like a fat slob who can't fight. He said bodybuilders can't fight but he got smacked up by one. I've always wanted to get in the ring with him. He does a lot of talking, calling me a bodybuilder and stuff but I had one of my African pals who's a bodybuilder step in and smack him up for me. It just shows, it's tough at the top."
Joshua fights former Fury opponent Otto Wallin on Saturday and a win will set him up for a huge fight against Deontay Wilder in March. Wilder, who hasn't fought in over a year, is also in action at the 'Day of Reckoning' event as he fights Fury's close friend Joseph Parker in the co-headliner.
Ngannou called for a rematch against Fury given the heavily scrutinised outcome of their fight but Fury is moving on to bigger things as he fights Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight world titles on February 17. Joshua declined to make a prediction for the undisputed fight but revealed he is hoping Usyk gets the job done.