Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Fight Odds, Live Stream ...

Francis Ngannou makes his second walk to the boxing ring to take on a former world champion in Anthony Joshua in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A year ago, this might have been considered nothing more than a spectacle. Just another frivolous entry in the history of boxing vs. MMA matchups. But that was before Francis Ngannou showed that he has a little more to offer in boxing than the average MMA convert.

In October, Ngannou made his boxing debut at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia against Tyson Fury. Instead of a sideshow, it turned out to be a legitimate scrap with Fury coming away with a hard-earned split-decision victory over 10 rounds.

Two months later Anthony Joshua beat Otto Wallin in Riyadh on a double feature with Deontay Wilder. Joshua and Wilder were supposed to finally meet, but Joseph Parker pulled off a stunning upset and opened the door for Ngannou to step in to this huge fight.

Fight Info, Odds

When: Friday, March 8 at 5:50 p.m. ET (approximate main event ringwalk time)

Where: Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Odds: Joshua -340 (wager $340 to win $100); Ngannou +260 ($100 wager wins $260)

Preview

Francis Ngannou got the attention of the boxing world with his effort against Fury. A win over Joshua would command its respect.

The Nigerian Nightmare earned a reputation as one of the best power punchers in the history of MMA. His ability to flatten opponents with just one strike made him a constant danger to anyone he fought and he has a UFC heavyweight championship belt to show for it.

Punching power doesn't always translate to the nuance of professional boxing, though. So when Ngannou announced that he wanted to try his hand at the sweet science it was met with understandable reservation by some.

Fury's post-fight interview told boxing fans all they need to know. The champ said Ngannou was one of his toughest fights of the last 10 years and also noted how awkward his style is.

Ultimately Ngannou came up short of pulling off the upset over Fury while gaining more notoriety in the sport for how he represented himself.

He isn't done with boxing yet, though. Ngannou had three opponents in mind when he decided to venture into boxing. Joshua will be the second.

"There were three names I had in mind, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder," Ngannou told DAZN's Off the Cuff. "I still have those three names."

He might still want Wilder, but the American's career momentum is in neutral right now. The loss to Parker might decrease demand for that fight, especially if Ngannou beats Joshua.

This fight is about more than money for Joshua. This could be an important step back to a title fight for the Brit if he plays his cards right. Joshua's confidence and form have been a top discussion in the division for years now. A shocking upset loss to Andy Ruiz and back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk legitimized questions about whether he'd ever get to that level again.

Since then he's rattled off three straight wins against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Wallin. They are good performances but the opponents have been questionable. Ngannou doesn't have an extensive boxing resume but his power is no joke and he is coming off the performance against Fury.

Prediction

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn remarked that Joshua, "should be petrified. But he's really not, and that's worrying in itself."

He also went on to say that he believes Joshua is the better fighter and will eventually knockout Tyson Fury if he gets past Ngannou. That's classic promoter talk. It behooves him to hype both this fight and a potential matchup with Fury.

However, if there's a kernel of truth about Joshua's mindset heading into this fight then there could be an upset. Joshua has struggled in the past with letting his hands go if he's taking on a power puncher. Since his upset loss to Andy Ruiz there's a pensiveness that has creeped into his game from time to time.

The question here is how Joshua reacts the first time Ngannou catches him with a significant punch. If that sends him into rigid mode then Ngannou's awkwardness and punching prowess might be enough to pull the massive upset this time.

Prediction: Ngannou via sixth-round TKO

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