Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua are the latest fighters to do a crossover fight, but this one might be the most intriguing yet. Who wins? More importantly, what should you bet? Here are our best picks on Ngannou vs. Joshua fight!
- What: Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou
- Where: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- When: Friday, March 8
Joshua vs. Ngannou Preview
Almost always with these crossover fights, you can blindly bet on the fighter that’s in his natural sport and you’ll be on the winning end. We’ve seen guys like Floyd Mayweather and Jake Paul make a mockery out of the best MMA fighters in a boxing ring. However, Ngannou changed this trend which is why you have to take this Joshua-Ngannou preview more seriously.
Of course, we’re referring to Ngannou’s split-decision loss to heavyweight world champion, Tyson Fury, last time out. Replace the word “loss” in the last sentence with “robbery” and you’d get a lot of fight fans to nod in agreement. In late October, Ngannou put Fury on the canvas and against the ropes multiple times in a 10-round exhibition. One judge scored it 95-94 for the former UFC heavyweight champion but the other two had it 96-93 and 95-94 for Fury.
Nevermind the result, Ngannou shocked the world in his first-ever boxing bout. The biggest shocker came in the third round when he knocked down Fury, who is believed to be the best heavyweight of his generation (or second to Oleksandr Usyk, at worse). No one knows how prepared or unprepared Fury was for the fight, but the point is, Ngannou looked like the real deal in the ring.
This is what makes this bout against Joshua so intriguing. Joshua is also a generational heavyweight, but not at the same level as Fury or Usyk, who has beaten AJ twice. Yes, he’s won championship gold at WBA, WBO, and IBF, but Joshua’s career is at a crossroads it seems. He’s still one of the biggest names in the sport, but not a title contender against the two names we mentioned before.
We’ll talk about the skills differences shortly, but from a purely natural standpoint, Joshua has a clear advantage. He’s three years younger and is also lengthier. AJ measures six-foot-six to Ngannou’s six-foot-four. Ngannou will probably outweigh him on fight night though. He came in at 258 pounds vs. Fury, while AJ usually fights at 250 pounds or lower.
Rules for the fight haven’t been announced, but another 10-rounder makes sense given this is Ngannou’s second-ever boxing bout while it’s 31 for AJ since turning pro.
Best Bet For Joshua vs. Ngannou
The best boxing betting sites have several different lines set for the matchup. However, we’re sticking with the two classic bet types for Joshua vs. Ngannou, and that’s moneyline and over/under. Here’s how we’re betting it:
Moneyline
| Fighter |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Joshua | -450 | -450 | -450 |
| Francis Ngannou | +325 | +325 | +325 |
Look, we don’t need to convince you that AJ should win this fight. He’s the natural boxer and foughten the best heavyweights the sport has to offer — Usyk, Wladimir Klitschko, and Andy Ruiz, among others. Surely, he can handle an MMA fighter, right? Right?
Well, it depends on how Joshua fights. The AJ of old was a knockout artist, but something changed around the time he fought Klitschko. Joshua won, but took a lot of damage in doing so. Since then, he’s fought a more technical style, perhaps in an effort to avoid taking punishment.
AJ would be smart to avoid risk-taking against Ngannou, who has legit one-punch-stopping power. But at the same time, fighting overly scared could cost Joshua the fight.
We do believe AJ wins, but Ngannou’s underdog line looks awfully appealing. It might be worth a Hail Mary bet in case Ngannou shocks the world one more time.
Over/Under 5.5 Rounds
| Outcome | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 5.5 rounds | -130 | -130 | -130 |
| Under 5.5 rounds | +100 | +100 | +100 |
Now this bet we’re it’s confident in. If we were you, we’d smash the over. Seriously, if there’s a bet to attack with size, it’s this one — not the moneyline.
The last thing Joshua wants out of this gimmick fight is to taste the canvas like Fury did. We all know, even if it’s close, the judges will almost surely favor him if it goes the distance. AJ just needs to avoid the sudden KO before that, and he has the win and an easy payday.
You could argue AJ will want to get Ngannou out early, but we don’t think so. He has enough respect for Ngannou’s power to keep his distance. Our bet is Joshua fights conservatively and happily hits the over 5.5 rounds.
How To Bet On Joshua vs. Ngannou Fight
You can get all your Joshua-Ngannou bets in at one of the bookmakers listed below. Moreover, this fight card also features a heavyweight bout between Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, which can also be bet on. Per our latest sportsbook reviews, the bookies listed are the “cream of the crop” so you can’t go wrong with any really.
The best part about using one of the below sites? The lucrative sign-up bonuses that await. See, you could earn hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play thanks to these bonuses — before the fight even starts. That’s guaranteed money in your pocket to throw on bets however you’d like! See the table below for a list of our favorite promos!
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