Francis Ngannou has claimed that Anthony Joshua doesn’t ‘have the strength’ to win their upcoming boxing clash.
Ngannou is set to face Joshua in Saudi Arabia on March 8, after the Brit’s bout with Deontay Wilder fell through after the American’s defeat to Joseph Parker at the ‘Day of Reckoning’ card.
Wilder’s defeat opened the door for former UFC champion Ngannou to take on Joshua, despite having lost the only professional boxing fight of his career.
Francis Ngannou, 37, fell to a split decision defeat against heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in a thrilling 10-round clash back in October, where he also scored an impressive knockdown.
Despite the loss, the Cameroonian is clearly full of confidence heading into the bout with Joshua and issued a chilling warning to the British star on the High Performance Podcast.
During his appearance on the show, Ngannou said: ‘Never say never. Nothing is impossible. We don’t know the strength of Anthony Joshua.
‘Even though I don’t believe he has that strength, we’re going to find out. In two months, we’re going to find out. I’m going to be the one taking his soul’.
The former UFC star has been adamant that he’ll be victorious against Joshua and even fired back at the Brit’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, in a recent interview.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn said he expects his fighter, Joshua, to knock Ngannou out during their match.
He told MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani: ‘I feel like he’s earned that shot – or certainly to continue at that level. And I fancy the fight.
‘You’ve heard me say before, I really believe AJ knocks him out. But he’s a dangerous fight. I know that this guy’s a big, big lump that can really punch, and I think he has no fear, which makes him dangerous’.
As reported by The Mirror, Ngannou fired back: ‘Eddie is a promoter, that’s like a routine for me. It’s deja vu, he said the same thing all of the time just not about Francis Ngannou but about somebody else. That’s how he talks and what he does’.
Elsewhere, during his appearance on the High Performance Podcast, Francis Ngannou offered inspirational advice and also reflected on his journey from African to Europe.
He said: ‘The only person that will help you and change your life is you. It’s not somebody who helped me or anybody that help me that make me who I am.
‘Because, if you are a stupid person, they can help you as much as they want. You won’t do anything. Your life depends on you.
‘I made it in Europe inside a zodiac. The small inflatable zodiac. It was nine of us. [I did it for] The dream. I’d rather have a life without dream instead of having a dream without life.
‘You seen all those people that have been rescued or died in the ocean every day. They know all the stories, they know all the worst thing that is happening there, that you have no idea. But they have no choice’.