Anthony Joshua and Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou will square off this Friday, March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a 10-round bout between two heavyweights that promises to spark.
It is a battle between a former heavyweight world champion who is looking to get a chance again against a former UFC champion who is dabbling in boxing, after debuting against Tyson Fury and sending him to the canvas in the third set, then losing by split decision and the power of his fists will be a threat to Joshua‘s weak defense.
The British fighter is looking to return to a fight for the world heavyweight championship and aspires to challenge the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury, for the time being he has won all three of his 2023 bouts, after losing the titles to Usyk in 2022.
Ngannou became AJ‘s emergency option after his original opponent, Deontay Wilder, was knocked out by Joseph Parker and lost his chances of continuing his heavyweight title aspirations.
With his experience and recent wins, especially the knockout over Otto Wallin, Joshua looks like a favorite against Ngannou, but an upset can’t be ruled out, especially after what he saw against Fury, and Joshua‘s unforgettable loss to Andy Ruiz Jr.
What are the betting odds for Joshua vs Ngannou?
The odds are in favor of Joshua, although not by a wide margin, since the victory for the Briton by any means pays -400, which means that for $100, the profit is $25, while the payout for Ngannou‘s win is +300.
In Las Vegas they believe that the only option for the Cameroonian to win is by knockout and there is not much difference if bettors go this way and the payout only increases +350, while the biggest win comes on Ngannou by decision with a +2200.