Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou preview: betting tips and odds
Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou – Knockout Chaos goes down this Friday, March 8, in Saudi Arabia. The two power punchers should enter the ring at 11 pm UK time, and if many pundits are to be believed, we won’t hear the final bell.
Anthony Joshua has been on the comeback trail since losing twice to generational great Oleksandr Usyk, but questions remain over his mental state. We’ve surveyed the latest AJ vs. Ngannou betting odds to see what the UK’s top bookmakers think.
Unsurprisingly, the current odds favour the more experienced boxer. However, it’s far from a done deal. Ngannou surprised everyone in his debut against Tyson Fury, so another upset might be on the cards. With that being the case, we found some hidden value in the betting markets. Come with us now as we reveal the best bets for Joshua vs. Ngannou.
What are the current odds for Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou on March 8? We’ve scoured the top UK boxing betting sites for the latest AJ and Ngannou lines. After a lot of digging, we unearthed these odds:
- Anothony Joshua to win at 27/100 with BetUK
- Francis Ngannou to win at3/1 with bet365
- Draw at 33/1 with Spreadex
Joshua looked to be returning to his best form in recent fights. His unanimous decision victory over Jermaine Franklin Jr in April 2023 wasn’t anything to write home about, but it stopped a two-fight losing streak.
The most significant performances for Joshua over the last six months have been down to changes in his camp. Joshua linked up with Tyson Fury’s former trainer, Ben Davison, before his August 2023 fight against Robert Helenius. That relationship appears to have reignited something in AJ.
He stopped Helenius with a solid right and parlayed that into a dominant performance against Otto Wallin in December. Wallin retired on his stool at the end of Round 5. It might be a stretch to say the fearless AJ of old is back, but he’s certainly fighting with a lot more intent than he did after his loss to Andy Ruiz.
Francis Ngannou made his pro boxing debut against Tyson Fury on October 28. Despite being an MMA champion, very few people thought he could hang with someone who many consider a generational great. He not only hung with Fury but knocked him down and lost a close split decision. In fact, more than a few people thought he won the fight.
Whether or not he did will remain a matter of debate until Knockout Chaos gives us something else to talk about. Even though it’s only his second professional boxing match, Ngannou is a live underdog. He doesn’t have the same pedigree as Joshua, but he’s a skilled MMA fighter with KO power and an unbreakable temperament. These attributes could see him upset the odds in Riyadh.
All of the UK’s best online betting sites have Anthony Joshua as a comfortable favourite heading into his fight against Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia. However, following his split decision loss to Tyson Fury on October 28, 2023, people’s opinions have changed slightly.
The former UFC heavyweight champion was always regarded as a devastating striker, but he proved in his pro boxing debut that he’s far from a novice under Queensbury Rules. Ngannou was composed, didn’t lunge in with the right leg like he does in MMA, and showed he can take a shot. Add to this the fact he’s extremely strong in the clinch, and Ngannou has the attributes to cause anyone problems.
Is that person Anthony Joshua? The bookies think it’s a 3/1 shot at best, so there’s certainly value in picking Ngannou to win. However, if you’re going to go with experience and accomplishments over freakish power, AJ is the man to back.
To help you squeeze some more value out of the betting markets, here are the best bets for Joshua vs. Ngannou:
The general consensus among boxing experts, bookmakers, and fans is that Anthony Joshua is the favourite heading into the March 8 showdown in Riyadh. Ngannou put in a performance beyond his level of experience against Tyson Fury, but AJ could present a tougher proposition.
Fury didn’t have the benefit of hindsight and, admittedly, wasn’t in the best shape against Ngannou. Joshua has seen what Ngannou can do in the cage and a boxing ring. He also knows a loss could signal the end of his career. We know he can be knocked down. Previous opponents, including Andy Ruiz and Wladimir Klitschko, proved that.
Against the latter, AJ came back firing and smashed his way to victory. However, against Ruiz, AJ went into his shell and became the defensive boxer we’ve seen in recent years. If Ngannou catches Joshua early, the Brit could get up and sit behind his jab for the rest of the fight. Therefore, a knockdown and decision win at 7/1 is an attractive price at bet365.
You can cover more bases by adjusting our previous Joshua vs. Ngannou betting tip. You’d win this bet if both fighters hit the canvas and Joshua goes on to win. This means AJ could go down, put Ngannou down and win on points.
Alternatively, AJ could get knocked down and come back to win by KO or TKO. Both fighters can punch. So, if we go with the general sentiment that Joshua is the favourite, this could be a shrewd bet at 4/1 with Parimatch.
Turki Alalshikh and the Saudis have branded Joshua vs. Ngannou as Knockout Chaos, but the fight could easily end up with the former winning on points. AJ is a superior boxer to Ngannou, and he won’t want to end up on the canvas like Tyson Fury. This, combined with the fact trainer Ben Davison encouraged Fury to use a defensive style against Deontay Wilder, could result in AJ sitting behind his jab.
Former boxer-turned-pundit Barry Jones believes Joshua could beat Ngannou with little more than one-two combinations. That’s not to diminish Ngannou as a fighter; it’s simply that AJ has solid boxing fundamentals. If he chooses to put on a clinic and ease his way to victory, 7/2 for a decision win is a great price at BetZone.
You can bet on Joshua vs Ngannou and get exclusive bonuses by joining one of our recommended UK sportsbooks. You do that by tapping our secure sign-up link and completing the registration process. Once you’ve done that, follow the steps below to bet on Joshua vs. Ngannou:
- Log into your account and make a deposit.
- Tap “boxing” on the betting menu.
- Find the latest Joshua vs Ngannou odds.
- Tap the odds next to your pick.
Anthony Joshua is the favourite to win on March 8 against Francis Ngannou. The top online UK betting sites, including bet365 and SpreadEx, have the Brit at 1/4 in most cases. For a bit more value, you can back AJ to win at 27/100 at BetUK.
Joshua vs. Ngannou will take place at the heavyweight limit of over 200 lbs (90 kg). Joshua weighed in for his last fight against Otto Wallin at 250 lb (113 kg), while Ngannou stepped into the ring at 272 lbs (123 kg).
Anthony Joshua has significantly more boxing matches than Francis Ngannou. AJ’s boxing record is 31 pro fights, with 27 wins and 3 losses. He also has an extensive amateur career that includes Olympic gold.
Francis Ngannou has no amateur background and only one pro boxing fight. He does, however, have a ton of experience in MMA. Of his 20 MMA fights, Ngannou has 17 wins, with 12 of those coming by way of knockout.
Joshua has more wins in boxing than Ngannou. AJ has won 27 of his 30 pro fights, only losing to Andy Ruiz and Oleksandr Usyk twice. Ngannou has one loss from one professional boxing match. However, it’s worth remembering that Ngannou has 17 wins in MMA and a UFC heavyweight title.
Ngannou hasn’t KO’d anyone in his boxing career. He knocked down Tyson Fury in his debut but lost via split decision. Anthony Joshua has 24 knockouts from 27 wins, giving him an 88.89% KO rate.
There aren’t any titles on the line in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but the winner of Joshua vs. Ngannou will get to fight for the undisputed heavyweight title, according to Turki Alalshikh. The man who orchestrated the fight has promised AJ a shot at the winner of Fury vs. Usyk. Therefore, it stands to reason that Ngannou gets the same opportunity if he’s able to upset the odds this Friday.
Yes, there are some intriguing matchups on the Knockout Chaos undercard, including two title fights, Liverpool’s Jack McGann and Tyson Fury’s brother, Roman Fury. The Joshua vs. Ngannou undercard looks like this:
- Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker (WBO interim heavyweight title fight)
- Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball (WBC featherweight title fight)
- Gavin Gwynne vs. Mark Chamberlain
- Justis Huni vs. Kevin Lerena
- Roman Fury vs. Martin Svarc
- Jack McGann vs. Louis Green
- Ziyad Almaayouf vs. Christian Lopez Flores
- Andrii Novytski vs. Juan Torres
You can watch Joshua vs. Ngannou on DAZN pay-per-view for £18.99 if you’re a subscriber and £19.99 if you’re not. Alternatively, you can watch it on Sky Sports Box Office for £19.95. The action gets underway at 4 pm UK time, and the main event is set to start at approximately 11 pm UK time.
If you don’t want to pay for Joshua vs. Ngannou, you can get all the ringside talk, insights, and live updates for free on talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 Radio or via the talkSPORT YouTube channel.
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