Molly McCann believes Anthony Joshua could fail against Francis Ngannou in their showdown in Saudi Arabia on Friday night if the former UFC champion uses his power against the British fighter.
The pair will meet in a huge clash at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the Cameroonian-French MMA fighter entering the fight after stunning WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October.
Ngannou is widely considered one of the hardest punchers in the world, with UFC president Dana White previously describing one of his punches as “equivalent to being hit by a speeding Ford Escort.”
And McCann, who recently claimed victory against Diana Belbita, warned Joshua before the fight, praising Ngannou for his work to improve as a boxer.
“I think a punch always has a chance… I really didn’t think he was going to do as well as he did against Tyson Fury,” McCann said. Sky Sports News.
Francis Ngannou will face Anthony Joshua on Friday night in what is set to be a massive showdown.
Molly McCann believes Ngannou possesses Joshua’s ‘kryptonite’ and praises the Cameroonian after he ‘surprised the world against Tyson Fury’
“I think he surprised the world with that. He earned their respect. And I think the world fell in love with him.
‘He has left his. “He continued working on his craft,” he added.
In his first professional boxing fight, the 37-year-old floored the ‘Gypsy King’ to the canvas in the third round, before Fury claimed a split decision victory, with some fans claiming Ngannou was ‘robbed’.
Meanwhile, Joshua scored a comfortable victory against Otto Wallin in December at ‘Judgment Day’, but will want to use his experience against Ngannou to secure victory tonight, to have a chance against Fury next.
The 34-year-old will earn an estimated £39million before stepping into the ring against Ngannou, but he faces a tough opponent, with McCann revealing Ngannou could possess the British fighter’s kryptonite.
‘AJ’s kryptonite could be what Francis has in his locker.
“It would be good to see if AJ is good enough to outbox him, be smart and not stand there and take hits.”
“Francis has to sit on his punches a little more and let them go a little more than his last fight, where he was a little hesitant, because it was his first professional boxing fight.
“Whereas now he knows the outcome.”
McCann added that “it would be good to see if AJ is good enough to outbox him, be smart and not stand there and get hit.”
The pair faced off at the weigh-in on Thursday afternoon ahead of their fight at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena.
Ngannou comes into this fight coming off a loss against Fury (right), despite knocking the WBC heavyweight champion to the ground in the third round of that bout.
Joshua does not underestimate his opponent, despite his comparative wealth of boxing experience.
The British fighter promised an “all-out war” against the former UFC star, who was also embroiled in a war of words with his former opponent Fury during the build-up to this fight.
‘All will be revealed: direct war, ruthlessness and a good fight. That’s what we’re all here for: a good fight,” he said when asked about his preparation for the fight.
“We’re not going to look beyond this fight,” he said when asked about a possible plan to fight the Gypsy King should he claim victory against Ngannou.
‘The incentives and stuff are just winning, focusing on my game plan and focusing on what I have to do.
‘It was always his (Francis) dream to be a boxer, he was part of the Cameroon team and only started MMA when he was 26 years old.
‘He’s been doing it since he was very young, I know what I’m up against.
Ngannou possesses one of the most powerful punches in the world, which has been compared to the punch of a Ford Escort.
Meanwhile, Joshua could set up a fight against Fury if he defeats Ngannou on Friday.
‘I spar, I study my cinema and I keep it professional. But the night that textbook falls out the window, you have to be relentless.
“This (entertaining) is what I have dedicated my life to, so face every challenge, every competition and I will step up.” One day I will share the ring with Tyson; I’m serious about the game.
‘The best man will always win, it’s not rocket science. One of the main things I look forward to is showing how good I am. People find out when they are in the ring, but we’ll see. “Friday will be here soon, I’m looking forward to it and the opportunity to arrive.”