Francis Ngannou’s trainer Dewey Cooper has fired a warning to Anthony Joshua ahead of their highly anticipated heavyweight boxing clash on Friday night in Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, nearly caused a seismic upset against Tyson Fury on his professional boxing debut, flooring ‘The Gypsy King’ in the third round before losing via split decision.
Next up for the Cameroonian is a showdown with Joshua, who is coming off the back of three successive victories as he plots a route back to the title.
But Cooper is confident Ngannou is going to thwart the Brit’s hopes and once again defy the odds.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Cooper said, “Can he go one better? Absolutely. That’s the goal and that’s the plan.
“In the Tyson Fury fight, we told you guys he was going to at least drop him once, that he could win the fight. We mean our words; this is not poetry, not fantasy.
“I know Joshua is your guy, you’re supposed to support him, but just know what he’s up against. He is up against a man who has proven life wrong from childhood all the way up.”
In the UFC, Ngannou was renowned for his devastating power, earning knockout victories in 10 of his 12 wins in the promotion.
It seemed to translate immediately when he swapped the octagon for the boxing ring as he sent Fury to the canvas, but Cooper says it’s not the only weapon in his arsenal.
“He has gargantuan power. It’s natural, in both fists. If he lands clean, bad things are going to happen for Joshua,” Cooper added.
“His precision is on point, his mentality is on point. It’s going to be one heck of a fight.
“We’re going to gain more from that first outing than anyone’s expectations could be. He’s going to be a much better, much more improved fighter than in his first outing against Tyson Fury.
“He can win it in a multitude of ways. Impossible when it comes to Francis Ngannou simply means ‘unpossible’.
“Beware and be worried if you’re a Joshua fan.”
Such is the confidence of the Ngannou team, they are already targeting the winner of the unification bout between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on May 18, live on TNT Sports Box Office.
