Anthony Joshua makes bold comparison of his boxing career to Tyson Fury's

Anthony Joshua believes that he has consistently outperformed Tyson Fury against similar opponents.

'AJ' recently had his return to the ring made official. On March 8 in Saudi Arabia, the former two-time champion will face former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. For 'The Predator,' the bout will be his second in the boxing ring.

In October, the PFL heavyweight contender nearly upset 'The Gypsy King' in his boxing debut. However, Fury was able to crawl off the canvas following a stunning knockdown and claim a split-decision win. In March, Joshua is out to prove that he's better than his British contemporary.

Speaking at today's kickoff press conference for Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou, 'AJ' stated as much. The British heavyweight directly responded to comparisons to Fury by referencing their past opponents.

There, Joshua stated that while Fury had defeated his opponents, he'd smashed them. It helps matters that he's coming off a knockout win over Otto Wallin last month. In 2019, the Swede nearly upset Fury, losing by unanimous decision.

Speaking earlier today, Joshua stated (via Michael Benson):

“Every opponent me and Fury have in common, I've knocked them out. Every opponent. I've never been in competition with him anyway in that sense, but if we are talking facts and stats - everyone we've both fought I've ended up breaking their face or knocking them out.”

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Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou winner to potentially face Tyson Fury

Saudi Arabia reportedly has big plans for the winner of Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou.

On February 17, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are expected to finally meet. Had it not been for an incredible performance by 'The Predator' in October, this fight would've already happened.

The heavyweight clash between the two titleholders is a historic one. The winner of the contest will be crowned the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, who accomplished the feat over two decades ago. Furthermore, it will crown the first heavyweight undisputed champion in the four-belt era.

Just a couple of weeks later, Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are expected to meet as well. At today's press conference, Turki Alalshikh, the main architect behind Saudi Arabia's boxing rise, spoke.

There, he revealed plans to have the winners of the two bouts fight later this year. While there's still a lot that needs to happen to make that a reality, it's clear that Saudi Arabia has big plans.