The former UFC champion believes Anthony Joshua will beat Francis Ngannou in an MMA bout.
Demetrius “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, considered by many to be one of the greatest fighters to ever fight in the flyweight division, gave his thoughts on Joshua vs. Ngannou.
The former two-time unified WBO, IBF and WBA heavyweight champion made easy work of his heavyweight bout in Saudi Arabia on Friday, knocking out his opponent with a devastating right hand.
And after the fight, current ONE Flyweight Champion Johnson identified Ngannou's decision to fight Tyson Fury as a potential reason for his loss to AJ.
“I'm not saying that Prime Minister Francis isn't taking it seriously,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. Mighty. “If I were to participate in a boxing match, I would probably spend eight months to a year preparing for the boxing match.
“The reason is that he punches faster. His movements are different. He only has one weapon, and he can only use one weapon, right?”
Johnson added, “You can't use your kicks. You can't use your knees. You can't use your elbows. You can't use wrestling. How do you cross the void if you can't use them?” All the weapons I've used for the past 18 years?
“Another downfall for Francis was that he had a boxing match with Tyson Fury, where Anthony Joshua got a chance to watch Francis boxing.
“What did he learn from the Francis vs. Tyson boxing match? He probably thought, 'OK, Francis isn't moving his head. He's not really moving his head. He's not very light on his feet. 'Tyson Fury said, 'He's kind of light on his feet and Tyson is trying to avoid the fight.'
“This time, Anthony Joshua was able to get to work right from the start. It's usually not a good sign when your opponent doesn't react.”
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The 37-year-old American even suggested that Joshua would defeat Francis Ngannou in the Octagon.
“Would Anthony Joshua have beaten Francis Ngannou in mixed martial arts? I think he has,” Johnson said.
“It's going to be another impressive match. AJ understands his distance. He understands the void. He has better hands than Francis and makes Francis whiff. You can also make them miss.
“Unless Francis changes tactics and goes to clinch and wrestle (Joshua will win). But AJ is very athletic. He's smaller and more flexible. I think we can pack it in and win.''I was able to give it to Francis Ngannou. ”
Featured image credit: Getty Images
Topics: Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou, UFC, Boxing, MMA, Demetrius Johnson, Tyson Fury
