Francis Ngannou, the Cameroonian combat sports icon who has fought his way from the sand mines of Batié to the pinnacle of global heavyweight competition, says he cannot split Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua ahead of their long-anticipated showdown — and his reasoning carries a weight that no pundit or analyst can match. He has been in the ring with both men.
Speaking to reporters at Palladium Times Square in New York City on Wednesday, Ngannou offered what may be the most informed preview of the Fury-Joshua matchup available. Having faced both British heavyweights in consecutive bouts between October 2023 and May 2024, his assessment is grounded not in speculation but in lived, bruising experience. "I think either can win," Ngannou told DAZN News. "It's going to be a very close fight."
Fury's Ring Intelligence Earns Ngannou's Respect
While declining to name an outright winner, Ngannou's words tilted toward Fury when pressed, and understandably so. Their October 2023 encounter in Riyadh was one of boxing's most dramatic nights in years. Ngannou — a former UFC heavyweight champion with no professional boxing record to speak of — dropped Fury with a sweeping left hand that sent shockwaves through the sport. Fury clawed his way back and ultimately won by split decision, but the closeness of the result burnished Ngannou's reputation and Fury's survival instincts in equal measure.
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