Demetrious Johnson has asserted a strong opinion regarding Anthony Joshua’s MMA prospects against Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou, with a record of 0-2, suffered a knockout in the second round of his recent boxing match against Joshua (28-3) at Knockout Chaos in Kingdom Arena, Saudi Arabia.
In the opening round, both fighters spent the first two minutes studying each other. Joshua’s straight right hand sent Ngannou to the canvas with just a minute remaining. Although Ngannou got up, it didn’t last.
Joshua, known as “AJ,” remained patient, seeking the potential knockout punch. Another right hand dropped the former UFC champion, followed by an even more devastating right hand that kept Ngannou on the canvas. Referee Ricky Gonzalez promptly waved off the fight.
The outcome surprised fans who expected more from Ngannou, especially after his debut against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Despite initially favoring Ngannou, Johnson went as far as predicting that Joshua would prevail in an MMA fight against the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Demetrious Johnson shared his perspective on his YouTube channel, emphasizing the need for MMA fighters transitioning to boxing to have ample preparation time.
“Does Anthony Joshua beat Francis Ngannou in an MMA fight? I think he does. “It would just be another striking match. AJ understands his distance. He understands the void. He has better hands than Francis, and he can make Francis even whiff and miss again. Unless Francis is going to change his tactic and go clinch him and wrestle him, (Joshua would win). But AJ is very athletic. He is smaller, he’s more limber. I think he’d be able to stuff the shot and be able to give it to Francis Ngannou.”
Johnson believes that if MMA fighters intend to persist in transitioning to boxing, they require a sufficient amount of preparation time including a few months timeframe.
“I’m not saying Francis has not taken it seriously. If I was to take a boxing match, I will probably spend eight months to a year preparing myself for the boxing match. Reason why is because the punches come faster. The movement is different. There’s only one weapon, and you only can use one weapon, right? I can’t use my kicks. I can’t use my knees. I can’t use my elbows. I can’t use my wrestling. How am I going to cross the void when I can’t use all the weapons I’ve been using for the last 18 years?
“Another thing that could have been Francis’ downfall was he had that boxing match with Tyson Fury. So Anthony Joshua got an opportunity to see Francis fight boxing. What he took from the boxing match on Francis vs. Tyson? He probably took, ‘OK, Francis doesn’t move his head. He doesn’t really move his head. He’s not very light on his feet,’ where Tyson Fury, he’s kind of light on his feet and Tyson’s trying to avoid the fight. This time, Anthony Joshua got right to work right off the bat, and that’s usually not a good sign if the other opponent doesn’t respond.”
