Ngannou aiming to shock Joshua

Riyadh – Francis Ngannou once toiled in a sand mine, scavenged for food to avoid starvation and slept rough in a car park, so facing former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua tonight is just another stop on his epic rags-to-riches journey.

“I’ve had a lot of experience in life,” the softly-spoken Cameroon-born fighter says with characteristic understatement.

“I’ve built my fighting spirit as high as anyone else.”

Ngannou has crammed a lot into his 37 years.

The child of a single mother, he had to walk six miles to school and from the age of 10 he shovelled sand from open quarries, his meagre income helping to buy food and books.

“It was work meant for adults, but we didn’t have any options,” said Ngannou of his back-breaking labours which paid less then $2 a day. “I missed my childhood.”

In 2012, at the age of 26 and fired by dreams of becoming a professional boxer, Ngannou, boasting a towering physique from his brutal work, made a break for Europe and a better life.

Completing a trip of around 5 000km, he took a train to Paris, lived in a car park before local boxing coach Didier Carmont found him a place to live and a gym to train.

Despite an early fascination with Mike Tyson, Ngannou graduated towards Mixed Martial Arts and in 2021 became the UFC world heavyweight champion.

Many scoffed when he opted to make his boxing debut against world champion Tyson Fury in the so-called “Battle of the Baddest” in October last year.

The doubters were silenced, however, when Ngannou sent Fury to the canvas in the third round before losing on a controversial split decision.

Tonight, he will return to Riyadh to face 34-year-old Joshua, whose career could be fatally holed if he loses. “Of course I can knock Joshua out,” said Ngannou.

“I believe if I land on anyone, I will knock them out. It’s going to go down, so I can’t wait for the opportunity.” –