Francis Ngannou gets Anthony Joshua warning ahead of PFL debut

Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has been warned that his lack of MMA training could be a disadvantage in his PFL debut.

Ngannou is getting ready for his second professional boxing match against Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia on Friday, March 8. He previously knocked down heavyweight champion Tyson Fury but lost in a controversial split decision. Now, he's hoping to disrupt Joshua's plans of fighting for the undisputed world titles by securing his first win in the ring.

Away from the boxing ring, MMA champions Ryan Bader and Renan Ferreira are preparing to face off at the PFL vs Bellator Championship event on Saturday. The winner may get the chance to face Ngannou in his MMA return. Bader, a former standout college wrestler, believes he would be a tougher opponent for Ngannou than Brazilian striker Ferreira.

While Ngannou has his eyes focused on shocking the boxing world by defeating Joshua, the 37-year-old has not fought in MMA for two years. Reigning Bellator heavyweight champion Bader is confident that he could use that to his advantage by utilising his superior skills on the ground.

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"I think I am definitely more well-rounded for sure, Ferreira is big and has good striking but I think he lacks the ground game. Once he gets put on his back he doesn't get up, maybe Ngannou is looking at that fight as a stand-up slugfest that he can go in there and win. It would be a fun fight for the fans to see a knockout but I bring a different style," Bader told Mirror Fighting.

"Fighting a guy like Francis, it's no secret that you're