Ngannou verbally beats Fury in AJ final press conference

Francis Ngannou warned Tyson Fury “boxing rules” were protecting him as the pair clashed again at Wednesday’s press conference; Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou meet in a heavyweight clash on Friday March 8.

Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury resumed their war of words as the pair clashed again at the final press conference ahead of the former UFC star’s fight with Anthony Joshua on Friday night.

Fury, who had confronted Ngannou earlier in the week over the MMA champion’s claims he was a ‘coward’, sat in the front row on Wednesday as a reminder that the potential prize for Friday’s victor could be an eventual encounter with the Gypsy King or Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

Ngannou steps inside the ring for just the second time in his professional boxing career this week, five months on from threatening one of the great upsets in history as he knocked down Fury during a frenetic 10-rounder he would eventually lose by split decision.

The 37-year-old said victory over Joshua would represent the most notable of his combat career, before turning his attention towards Fury.

“He will be the best so far, but I’m just getting started,” said Ngannou. “I’m looking for the victory on Friday, I don’t think it will be a statement because the road is still long.

“I want one more over Tyson, because I had the first one over him and I intend to have a second!”

Fury, who is preparing to face Usyk on May 18 following the fight’s postponement, cupped his mouth as he issued a reply in Ngannou’s direction, prompting the latter to continue.

“I’m going to wipe the ring with your a*** again – there was blood in the ring!” added Ngannou.

“Your only chance is in the boxing ring with boxing rules, when you step out the ring you better stay five metres away because if I lose it, you’ll have a really bad time my friend.

“Respect the fact boxing rules are protecting you, because you are nothing in front of me. I’ll beat you every day, twice on Sunday!”

It served as the only deviation from an otherwise relaxed press conference, with some fascination to be found in a light-hearted Ngannou’s momentary switch in tone as he sought to deliver a warning to Fury.

Joshua, sporting one AirPod in his ear, meanwhile watched on unfazed as he maintained the at-peace, laser-focused demeanour with which he has conducted the entire fight week, and his past two fight weeks.

As for what to expect, it was straight to the point. As he hopes will be the case on Friday.

“All will be revealed,” he said with a smile. “Straight up war, relentlessness, good fight, stay tuned.”

Quizzed on the prospect of facing the winner of Fury and Usyk, he quickly interjected.

“We aren’t looking past this fight, the incentive is just to win, to just focus on my game plan.”

Joshua’s one vacant AirPod soon became a talking point, the pair sharing a laugh as Ngannou placed it in his ear to find out what his counterpart was listening to.

Mutual respect had remained the theme, Ngannou hailing Joshua’s ‘flawless’ performance to dispatch Otto Wallin last time out and Joshua underlining Ngannou’s boxing roots as he played down any prospect of taking Friday’s challenge lightly.

“His first dream was to be a boxer, people forget that,” said Joshua. “He’d been doing this from a young age, I know what I’m up against.

“I spar, I do my film study, I keep it professional, on the night is on the night and all the textbook stuff goes out the window.

“It’s written in the stars what’s going to happen.”

Joshua acknowledged it was his and every fighter’s “duty” to entertain, reeling off his list of previous opponents while suggesting “one day I’ll be in the ring with Tyson” as he vowed to deliver for the public.

“The best man will always win, one of the main things I’ll look forward to is showing how good I am,” he later added.

Ngannou, for all his success against Fury, meanwhile adopted a grounded approach to his second professional fight as he reiterated the importance of gaining experience and continuing to build.

Joshua’s trainer Ben Davison had suggested Ngannou might run into some difficulties while fighting over 10 rounds, and The Predator did not disagree.

“Yes I’ll struggle to do 10 rounds, if you don’t struggle to do 10 rounds you aren’t human,” he said. “I have no problem with that, because it’s a learning process and I’m here to learn.

“In that fight against Fury I was questioning myself like ‘what will I be like?’. I did struggle, but I think he struggled as well – maybe more!

“I haven’t shocked the world yet. I’m still in the factory, training, building and learning and when I really get it that’s when the world will be shocked.

“I’m still learning the sport I’ve loved my entire life. It’s just now I’m getting the experience. I trust the process and my team.

“It’s going to pay off. Every space there is an opening I’m going to hit! I’m not going to leave any stone unturned.”