UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has given his take on the upcoming boxing showdown between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou.
Joshua and Ngannou will be sharing the boxing ring on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The winner would be in prime position to challenge either Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk for heavyweight gold.
Jones has weighed in on how he thinks AJ vs. “The Predator” will play out.
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Jon Jones Talks Joshua vs. Ngannou
Jon Jones was in attendance for the PFL vs. Bellator: Champs event, as was Francis Ngannou. During the broadcast, “Bones” was asked how he feels about the upcoming boxing match (h/t MMAMania.com).
“I’m rooting for Francis to win only because his story, how far he’s come in life, and him being a fellow mixed martial artist,” said Jones. “How could you not root for Francis? Francis is a wonderful, stand-up person. So I’m rooting for Francis.
“But Anthony Joshua has been doing this since he was a young boy. I’m the type of guy who gives respect where it’s due. So if I personally had to put my money on it — not that I gamble — I would put it on Anthony Joshua. But I am rooting for Francis. Sorry, Francis.”
Ngannou turned heads in the boxing world when he almost defeated Tyson Fury in late 2023. Despite the split decision loss, Ngannou’s performance was so impressive that he made his debut on the official WBC rankings. If he can pull off a victory over Joshua, he would likely be looking at his first world championship fight in boxing.
Time will tell how Ngannou will fare against Joshua, but BJPenn.com will have you covered with results and video highlights when fight night rolls around.
