"I've watched him box a number of times" - Anthony Joshua claims he wasn't surprised by Francis Ngannou's performance against Tyson Fury

Anthony Joshua has shared his thoughts on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou's boxing match against Tyson Fury.

Ahead of their upcoming clash, 'AJ' and Ngannou had a face-to-face conversation for DAZN Boxing. At one point, Joshua was asked by interviewer Ade Oladipo whether he was surprised by 'The Predator's' performance against Fury.

The 34-year-old responded by saying:

"No, not at all. I researched Nganou and I've watched Tyson Fury box a number of times. People claim he's the greatest of many generations, but I think if I boxed Tyson Fury a lot of similarities would happen in the fight. So, I'm not surprised at all, in terms of [Ngannou's] style, who Fury is, it's just a boxing match. Well done to both of them. They put on an entertaining fight."

Check out Anthony Joshua's comments from the 3:48 mark below:

Ngannou made his boxing debut in October 2023 and went up against boxing star Fury in a professional bout. The fight was scheduled for 10 rounds and took place at the Kingdom Arena in Riaydh, Saudi Arabia.

The Cameroonian rose to the occasion that night and surprised many with his impressive performance. At one point, Ngannou even scored a knockdown against 'The Gypsy King.'

The fight eventually went the distance and Fury was declared the winner via split decision. The three judges scored the bout 94-95, 96-93 and 95-94 in favor of the 35-year-old. Despite the outcome, many in the combat sports community believed the former UFC champion deserved the nod on the judges' scorecards.

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Eddie Hearn weighs in on Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou

After making waves in his debut, Francis Ngannou is all set to compete in his second professional boxing match against Anthony Joshua. The fight will take place on March 8 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn recently made an appearance on the The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. During his time there, Hearn predicted for Joshua to emerge victorious via knockout. He said:

"I really believe 'AJ' knocks him out, but it is a dangerous fight. I know that this guy is a big lump that can really punch. And I think he has no fear, which makes him dangerous. But I feel like 'AJ' is in a great place and I expect him to pick him apart and knock him out."

Check out Eddie Hearn's comments on Francis Ngannou below (7:20):