Former UFC champion and Cameroonian, Francis Ngannou has joined Oleksandr Usyk, the undisputed heavyweight champion, in predicting an Anthony Joshua victory over Tyson Fury when the two British rivals eventually clash.
Ngannou, who faced both Fury and Joshua during his brief foray into boxing, believes Joshua has the edge, despite Ngannou’s controversial points loss to Fury and a knockout defeat to Joshua in his debut bouts.
“I don’t know; I would give it to AJ right now,” Ngannou told IFL TV when asked to assess a potential matchup between the heavyweights.
The long-anticipated bout, projected to generate over $300 million in revenue, is being targeted for Wembley Stadium in 2025. Promoter Eddie Hearn has hailed the matchup as “the biggest fight probably in the history of British boxing.”
“The reality is, there’s only one fight for Tyson Fury, and that’s Anthony Joshua,” Hearn stated. “Tyson Fury is still potentially at the peak of his powers, but just not good enough to beat Oleksandr Usyk. For me, AJ versus Fury is the one—the fight at Wembley.”
Usyk Weighs In
Usyk, who has also faced both fighters, previously tipped Joshua to win on points, even though he acknowledged that Fury posed tougher challenges in their two bouts. The Ukrainian recently defended his titles with a decisive victory over Fury in their Riyadh rematch.
A Clear Path to the Clash
With IBF champion Daniel Dubois set to defend his title against Joseph Parker on February 22, the stage appears set for the long-awaited Joshua-Fury showdown. While it would no longer determine an undisputed champion, the bout remains one of the most anticipated in heavyweight history.
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has expressed interest in hosting the fight during the Riyadh Season, while Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, told The Sun that it’s “what people want to see.”
Both fighters are eager to rebound from recent setbacks—Fury from his first career loss to Usyk, and Joshua from his fourth professional defeat, suffered against Dubois at Wembley Stadium.
