Francis Ngannou is literally and figuratively a leading figure in combat sports. His intimidating stature and power make him a dangerous inpidual and he has made an immediate impact in the MMA cage and in the boxing ring.
The 37-year-old from Batie, Cameroon, has competed in MMA since 2013. Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, has seemingly done it all in the cage, aside from fighting Jon Jones. That may never happen given his strained relationship with the UFC, but there are still plenty of appealing matchups for him.
Although he has left great memories in the cage, his first love will always be boxing. After facing WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October, Ngannou returns to the ring to face Anthony Joshua on March 8.
Signing with the PFL after leaving the UFC has resulted in endless opportunities for Ngannou. He will fight in the PFL’s SmartCage in the future, but there is no official date for his return to MMA. Joshua in Saudi Arabia is the only thing he is focused on now.
LOOK: Anthony Joshua against Francis Ngannou, live exclusively on DAZN
Joshua, a former two-time unified champion, is looking to return to title contention. Fight fans expect a brutal fight packed with powerful punches. Realistically, it could be a game of chess or it could be over in the blink of an eye.
“When these two come together in Riyadh, it’s Godzilla and King Kong,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. Sports Illustrated. “They are two huge men and anything can happen in this fight. You can take a shot to the chin and it’s over.”
How tall is Francis Ngannou?
Ngannou is 6-4. His next opponent, Anthony Joshua, is 6-6.
Renan Ferreira, potentially Ngannou’s first opponent in the PFL, is 6-8.
What is the scope of Francis Ngannou?
Francis Ngannou has a reach of 83 inches. He set a world record in 2017 for the strongest hit ever recorded with 129,161 units on a PowerKube.
Ngannou will have a one-inch reach advantage against Joshua.
“This is the first time Joshua has fought an opponent who outsizes him,” Eddie Hearn said. Sports Illustrated. “This guy [Ngannou] it’s huge. He’s like a cruiserweight and a heavyweight. “So this is a real threat.”
