Anthony Joshua's nerves are 'very important' to Francis Ngannou ahead of fight

Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou believes that Anthony Joshua's nerves could help him in their upcoming fight.

Ngannou is set to face Joshua, a two-time heavyweight champion, in his second professional boxing match in less than two weeks. His debut last October saw him surprise many by knocking Tyson Fury down and only losing by one point in a decision that sparked debate.

Fury had tried to rattle Ngannou before their fight by making fun of his body and calling him a "sausage" multiple times. However, Joshua has taken a different approach, saying that despite Ngannou only having one boxing match under his belt, this crossover fight is the biggest challenge he has ever faced.

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"Anthony Joshua never trash talks, his personality is more serious, unlike Tyson Fury who is more like a playboy," Ngannou told Mirror Fighting. "I think when it comes to fighting, they both know how to fight and that's what I'm focused on.

"He might have been nervous but that doesn't mean anything, in fact, I think being nervous means he is taking things very seriously. It's very important because he's going to do his best to show up on the day with everything".

Joshua has only been knocked down by Wladimir Klitschko and Andy Ruiz Jr in his impressive career, but Ngannou does not believe Joshua will be able to stand up if he gets hit like Fury. In their interview, Joshua did not say if he thinks he can knock out Ngannou, but Ngannou suggests the British fighter is just being careful.

"Refusing to say doesn't mean that he doesn't want it. I think that he's just being sceptic," he