Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua: Boxing Odds, Prediction
Friday’s main event from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will feature Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua squaring off in a 10-round fight.
Ngannou impressed in his professional boxing debut last October, when he pushed WBC champion Tyson Fury to the limit before suffering a tight split decision loss. Joshua is looking for a fourth straight victory after losing his WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles against Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021.
Joshua is a heavy -400 favourite to win on the boxing odds, while Ngannou is a +270 underdog.
Francis Ngannou Boxing Odds
Ngannou was once one of the biggest stars in the UFC where he was the reigning heavyweight champion at the time of his departure from the promotion in 2022. During his UFC career he was particularly known for his destructive punching power. Only five of his 13 fights reached the two-minute mark of the first round, with the remaining eight ending in a Ngannou finish. He eventually departed the UFC over multiple financial and marketing disputes.
“The Predator” surprised boxing fans by holding his own over world champion Fury last fall. The 37-year-old Ngannou was a heavy underdog in the fight, but Fury struggled with Ngannou’s unconventional style. Ngannou floored Fury with a clean left hook in the third round, but the judges ultimately gave the nod to Fury in a controversial split decision. Fury out-landed Ngannou 71-59 in total punches, but Ngannou out-landed Fury 37-32 in power punches.
Ngannou has a chance to shock the boxing world again on Friday. Keep in mind, Joshua has been stopped before and he doesn’t fare well when facing adversity in his fights. Ngannou clearly won’t be the more technical fighter, so he’ll need to rely on the devastating power that helped him dominate the UFC for seven years. One well-placed shot from Ngannou could end this fight.
Anthony Joshua Boxing Odds
Joshua (27-3, 4 KOs) has fought professionally since 2013. The 34-year-old is a two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, having held the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles twice between 2016 and 2021. Joshua first lost his heavyweight titles in an upset TKO loss against Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 and while he earned the titles back in the rematch later that year, his reputation as one of the top boxers in the world took a hit.
Following the two Ruiz fights, “AJ” successfully defended his heavyweight titles once against Kubrat Pulev before again losing the heavyweight crown in a unanimous decision defeat against Usyk in September 2021. He followed the Usyk fight with a split decision loss in the rematch, before rattling off three victories in 2023 over Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin.
Joshua clearly has the edge in this fight. He’s big, strong, powerful and technically sound. Despite his inconsistency, you can’t overlook the benefit of his experience. We’re talking about a fighter with 30 fights under his belt compared to Ngannou’s one (which he also lost). If Joshua sticks to the game plan and protects himself, he should have no problem controlling Ngannou.
