Andrew Wilsher
Show Bio
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday evening for a huge fight, and the heavyweight battle looks set to be just as thrilling as the Ngannou’s bout against Tyson Fury when he almost dethroned the Gypsy King. The contest has been marketed as ‘Knockout Chaos’, which may give an indication into what sort of fight we could be in for. Let’s break down the latest Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou odds, predictions and our best bet for the fight.
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou odds
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou winner odds
Anthony Joshua -340
Francis Ngannou +260
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou total rounds odds
Over 7.5 rounds +100
Under 7.5 rounds -135
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou fight predictions
The money for the winner of this fight has been coming for Ngannou, with Joshua’s odds getting bigger over the course of the week. Perhaps it’s the weight of money from Ngannou’s legion of MMA fans that is seeing the Predator’s odds get bigger, but it’s worth remembering that the Cameroonian has also already shown that he has the power to hurt the best heavyweights around. He knocked down WBC world champion Tyson Fury in his first professional boxing bout in October. The Gypsy King is arguably the best big-hitter on the planet and will bid to become the undisputed ruler of the heavyweight division when he takes on Oleksandr Usyk for the 4 major belts in May, so the fact that Ngannou had him clinging on for much of their fight proves that Ngannou has what it takes to get the win.
At 37 years of age, there is unlikely to be much progression in terms of Ngannou’s boxing skills or ability, but the former MMA star should now be confident that he has the required power and punch resistance to be effective in the boxing ring, albeit that increased self-belief could ultimately prove to be his downfall against Joshua. Ngannou doesn’t have the skill or movement to counter-punch or box on the back foot, and he will likely march forward in an upright, wide-guard stance in a bid to close the gap on AJ. That will afford the Predator more opportunities to land power shots but, at the same time, it will leave him open to attack.
Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou best bet: Under 7.5 rounds (-135)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Power has been Joshua’s kryptonite throughout his professional career – the English fighter was dropped 4 times in his shock loss to Andy Ruiz, while Wladimir Klitschko sent him to the canvas at Wembley in 2017 and Usyk also had the Briton in big trouble in their 2 fights. Joshua’s punch resistance is another concern, but the 34-year-old has extremely heavy hands of his own and he has the schooling to pick off a stationary target in the shape of Ngannou.
Trainer Ben Davison has hinted that Joshua will adopt an aggressive approach and with Ngannou only able to operate one way, this fight is likely to develop into a toe-to-toe war. The total rounds line has been set at 7.5 and going under that mark looks a good bet. The temperature is forecast to be close to 80F in Riyadh which should bring fatigue into play, so it seems unlikely that this heavy-hitting 10-round clash will get close to the final bell.
Where is the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou fight?
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday, March 8.
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou ring-walk time
The ring walk for Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou is expected to start at 6:00 pm ET, with the fight scheduled to begin at 6:20 pm ET.
