Former WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua returns to the ring opposite Francis Ngannou this Friday, March 8. The 10-round bout will close out DAZN’s “Knockout Chaos” card taking place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Joshua has won three consecutive bouts, as many anticipated him taking on former WBC champion Deontay Wilder at this juncture. Since losing his unified heavyweight title status to Oleksandr Usyk in 2022, Joshua seems to have turned the corner. His latest retirement win over Otto Wallin and 7th-round KO of Robert Helenius display the once-feared power “AJ” possesses.
Ngannou made quite the boxing debut last October, dropping current WBC champion Tyson Fury early in their 12-round bout. The former UFC heavyweight titleholder looked as impressive as ever and lost via controversial split decision. His ability to box was on full display and now he enters a top-10 ranked heavyweight per the WBC. What does he bring to the table for an encore?
Before this bout gets underway, let’s take a look at the odds to win, total rounds, fight outcome, and whether it’s favored to go the distance, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Current odds for Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou
Odds to win
Joshua: -340
Ngannou: +260
Total rounds
Over 7.5: -105
Under 7.5: -130
To go the distance
Yes: +205
No: -285
Fight outcome
Joshua by Decision or Technical Decision: +310
Joshua by KO/TKO/DQ: -135
Draw: +2000
Ngannou by Decision or Technical Decision: +1400
Ngannou by KO/TKO/DQ: +340