Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou Boxing Odds, Time, and Prediction

Anthony Joshua is a -450 favorite to beat Francis Ngannou on March 8, but we mustn’t forget that he was an even bigger favorite against Andy Ruiz Jr. who ended up knocking him out a few years ago. Is there a chance another major surprise can happen? Let’s find out!

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou Odds

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When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Date: Friday, March 8, 2024
• Time: ~6:00 p.m. ET
• How to Watch: DAZN

Anthony Joshua to Show the World Why He’s a -450 Favorite

Anthony Joshua is one of the greatest boxers of his generation. The Olympic gold medalist is 27-3 overall, with 24 of his wins happening by knockout. When it comes to his losses, two of them happened against Oleksandr Usyk in title bouts. Each time, he lost by decision – once by unanimous and once by split decision.

Joshua’s only knockout loss happened in 2019 against Andy Ruiz Jr., which still remains one of the biggest betting upsets not only in boxing but all combat sports.

The defeat in question was a lesson to always respect his opponents. Ruiz is smaller and way more unfit than Joshua, but his incredible punching power got the better of AJ.

Now, he’s supposed to fight someone who’s only fought one professional boxing bout before, but who’s the record-holder for the hardest punch in the world. Therefore, AJ needs to be even more careful this time.

Can Ngannou Record His First Boxing Win?

It’s not easy to knock Tyson Fury down, but Francis Ngannou did it. He shook the legendary heavyweight in their clash last October, but Gypsy King got up and somehow got himself a win by decision in the end, although many believe it was The Predator who should’ve won that fight.

But what’s done is done and Ngannou has another challenge in front of him. He’s fighting another English pugilist on Friday, March 8. It’s Anthony Joshua, who might not have as high a boxing IQ as Fury, but who’s more athletic.

Ngannou did fight a couple of tall and slim guys in the UFC, most notably, Cyril Gane, but he used his wrestling skills in that fight, which helped him beat the striking expert. Now, he’ll only have his fists as a weapon, so he might not do as well.

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou Prediction

Ngannou did okay against Fury because Fury obviously didn’t care much about that bout. Gypsy King just didn’t work hard to prepare for the fight, but that’s not the case with AJ. Joshua has reportedly been working really hard to ensure he doesn’t suffer another shocking loss as was the case with the Ruiz Jr. fight a few years ago.

That said, rather than going for a risky finish, Joshua will likely box tactically and get himself a win by points. Alternatively, we could see him get a KO/TKO win late on in the fight when Ngannou is gassed out completely.

Pick: Anthony Joshua