Anthony Joshua has insisted his full focus is on Francis Ngannou ahead of a massive couple of months for heavyweight boxing.

On February 17 in Saudi Arabia, AJ may well be ringside to watch Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO heavyweight world titles.

However, if he is, it will only be because he’s already out in Riyadh training for his own fight in the city against Ngannou on March 8.

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh (Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority) is the driving force behind this shift in the heavyweight division towards Riyadh.

He staged Fury vs Ngannou in October and Joshua vs Otto Wallin in December, and has made his long-term plans clear.

Alalshikh wants the British super fight between Fury and AJ to finally come to fruition, if they both win their upcoming bouts.

Despite this dangling carrot in front of him, Joshua is adamant that he won’t look past Ngannou.

“Let me say this again, I’m not focusing on that,” Joshua told The MMA Hour.

“I’m going to take my mind, I have to draw it back that Ngannou is my undisputed title fight. That’s the mentality I have to have.

“Ngannou is my undisputed fight. Because you’re only as good as your last fight, and I respect him a lot.

He ain’t easy money. He’s a hard night’s work.

“And you know what’s crazy? So am I. I’m a hard night’s work for anyone. So let’s go, it’s going to be fireworks.”

George Groves has told Anthony Joshua his career will be over if he loses to Francis Ngannou.

Joshua will take on former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on March 8 in what will be just the Cameroonian’s second professional boxing fight. Ngannou dropped Tyson Fury in the third round of their clash last October before losing a narrow split-decision.

Joshua, meanwhile, stopped Otto Wallin two days before Christmas to record his third victory of 2023. He knows victory will set him up for a potential shot at the winner of Fury’s undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk which will take place on February 17. But Groves believes defeat will bring a sudden end to Joshua’s distinguished career.

Ngannou hasn’t been boxing long, how can he defeat an Olympic champion who went on to win multiple world titles? AJ’s not past his best, he’s not on the way out,” he told Grosvenor Sport. He looked flat at the start of last year but he looked a real force against Wallin. So I hope he puts it on Ngannou and doesn’t put safety first. I hope he comes out hungry to make a statement, I think AJ can knock Ngannou out. I think he needs to win and win well.

“And if he doesn’t, we need to stop caring about the heavyweight division, it would be a farce. It would not happen in any other sport. You wouldn’t get Conor McGregor getting anywhere near anyone in the top ten in boxing. Joshua should easily out box him. Joshua has got it all to lose, a loss for Joshua would be curtains. His last defeat was against Oleksandr Usyk, who I think is a phenomenal fighter, whereas this time around, if he loses to Ngannou, a guy in his second fight, that’s going to be a disaster.

“There will be a question mark over his career and legacy, especially because he’s not a faded fighter, he’s not shot, it’s not like Ngannou will be catching Joshua as the tail end of his career. AJ put in a really good performance against Wallin but if he’s beaten by Ngannou that’s a nightmare. It’s a big pressure fight. It would be a bigger shock than Buster Douglas beating Tyson. Douglas wasn’t a bad fighter and Tyson was a ticking time bomb. That was a major, major shock, but Ngannou beating AJ would top it surely.”

Anthony Joshua is treating his next fight as a world title opportunity.

Though no belts will officially be on the line when Joshua steps into the ring with Francis Ngannou this March, Joshua views the former UFC heavyweight champion as a chance to prove he’s still the best boxer in his division. Joshua has held multiple world titles in boxing, but he has been without gold around his waist since a pair of losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

Should Joshua defeat Ngannou, it could set him up to challenge for boxing titles again, but for now, he’s preparing for Ngannou like he’s the man to knock off the top of the mountain.

“Let me say this again, I’m not focusing on that,” Joshua said on The MMA Hour when asked if he expects a title shot with a win over the PFL’s Ngannou.

“I’m going to take my mind, I have to draw it back that Ngannou is my undisputed title fight. That’s the mentality I have to have.

“Ngannou is my undisputed fight. Because you’re only as good as your last fight, and I respect him a lot. He ain’t easy money. He’s a hard night’s work. And you know what’s crazy? So am I. I’m a hard night’s work for anyone. So let’s go, it’s going to be fireworks.”

There is a vast gap between Joshua and Ngannou when it comes to boxing experience. Though Ngannou was a dominant force inside the octagon, in the ring it’s Joshua who has been one of the best in his sport for years. The Englishman is 27-3 in his career, with his only losses to Usyk and Andy Ruiz Jr., the latter of which Joshua avenged in an immediate rematch.

Ahead of a fight with Otto Wallin this past December that Joshua dominated, it was expected the ex-champ would face Deontay Wilder sometime in 2024. The only problem was that Wilder lost to Joseph Parker in the co-main event of the Joshua-Wallin card, which put that matchup on the shelf for the meantime.

Joshua vs Ngannou takes place on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Former super middleweight champion Carl Froch erupted over some recent statements made by his career rival, Andre Ward.

During an interview, Ward explained that he felt Joe Calzaghe would have been a tougher opponent than former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

“The big, one shot would have been my concern with Anthony Joshua. He doesn’t have the style – he’s not like a big man, like George Foreman. George knows how to tie you up and walk you back and wear you down. [Joshua’s] trying to box and be cute as well. I can look out for that right hand a lot easier when you fight like that, so Joe Calzaghe would have been a tougher fight. A different style, and a different mentality,” Ward told Boxing News.

Ward, a former two division champion, retired from the sport in 2017 after retaining his unified crown at light heavyweight.

Before the retirement decision was ultimately made, there were rumors that Ward was willing to entertain the scenario of moving up to the heavyweight division to challenge then world champion Joshua.

Ward would confirm those rumors the following year.

Froch believes the much bigger Joshua would have wiped out Ward – although he does believe Ward would have beaten Calzaghe had they met in the ring.

“I think Andre Ward’s comments on Anthony Joshua and Joe Calzaghe are f—— ridiculous because Anthony Joshua is far too big for him. It would be a mismatch because of the size difference. I don’t get where he’s coming from. AJ is six feet six and 18 stone, Andre Ward wouldn’t have a f——- chance,” Froch said to Lord Ping.

“Boxing is a weight governed sport, Ward is talking nonsense. I think he gives Calzaghe a really tough fight though, that’s a tough night for Calzaghe, a great fight. But he’s talking bullsh!t about Anthony Joshua. AJ is too big and too strong for Andre Ward, I’d actually enjoy watching AJ knockout Andre Ward, I’d pay to see it.

“But Ward does beat Calzaghe, he doesn’t really have any chinks in his armor. Calzaghe deserved to lose against Robin Reid, Reid should have got the nod. He also struggled against an old Hopkins and an old Roy Jones, so you’ve got to pick Ward over Calzaghe.”

ANTHONY JOSHUA will be in line to challenge for Tyson Fury’s WBC world heavyweight title if he beats Francis Ngannou.

Joshua returns on March 8 in Saudi Arabia against ex-UFC champion Ngannou, in only his second boxing bout.

AJ currently stands as the WBC’s No1 ranked challenger meaning if he is victorious, he could be mandated to face Fury.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told Gambling.com: “He has had a sensational career and if he beats Francis Ngannou, then he is number one in the WBC while Francis Ngannou is number 10 so the winner will certainly be positioned for great things in the immediate future.”

Ngannou put his MMA career on hold last year to fight Fury on his boxing debut.

And he amazingly scored a knockdown only to be beaten via controversial split-decision.

Fury, 35, now faces Oleksandr Usyk, 36, on February 17 in Saudi for the undisputed heavyweight crown.

Meanwhile Joshua, 34, takes on Ngannou, 37, just three weeks later.

Winners of the two super-fights could meet but as it stands, Fury and Usyk are already contracted to a rematch.

But WBC boss Sulaiman would consider altering plans if promoters requested.

He said: “The WBC already sanctioned Fury v Usyk and the rematch.

“We received the request and have already accepted a rematch if the promoters put it together so that’s where the WBC stands.

“If the promoters change their request for the rematch, we will certainly address it.”