Francis Ngannou has hit back at Eddie Hearn’s claim that he is ‘easy work’ for Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou is set to face Joshua in Saudi Arabia on March 8, with Joshua’s promoter Hearn suggesting that the outcome of that fight is a foregone conclusion.
Despite Hearn’s comments, Ngannou isn’t fazed by the situation and suggested that he is capable of causing problems for Joshua, and claimed that his next opponent ‘doesn’t have a chin’.
As reported by The Mirror, Ngannou said: ‘Eddie is a promoter, that’s like a routine for me. It’s deja vu, he said the same thing all of the time just not about Francis Ngannou but about somebody else. That’s how he talks and what he does.
‘The date is set, it’s two months from now and if any of them think it’s going to be easy money, too bad for them.
Francis Ngannou has dismissed Eddie Hearn’s claim he will be easy work for Anthony Joshua
Hearn suggested that Joshua’s clash against Ngannou in Saudi Arabia will be a formality
‘I’m just a beginner improving. No one still knows what I can do. AJ is a very tough fighter, but he’s easier to send down than Fury, and it’s harder for him to get back up than Fury.
‘If AJ takes the punch that Fury took, I don’t guarantee that he is getting up. I have heard that he doesn’t have a chin, I am going to find out.’
Hearn claimed that Ngannou will be brought back down to reality when he takes on Joshua.
Hearn told the MMA Hour: ‘Francis Ngannou against Anthony Joshua is one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport. I promise you this, respect to Francis, easy work for my man.
‘I know the MMA world are getting a little bit high right now, walking in the clouds, but we’ll bring it right back down to reality.’
Ngannou took on Tyson Fury in October but despite causing some problems for the Gypsy King he ended up suffering a defeat by split decision.
The clash against Fury was Ngannou’s first professional boxing fight after excelling in MMA.
Ngannou claimed that a rematch between himself and Fury will happen in October if he manages to get past Joshua.
Hearn claimed that Ngannou will be brought back down to reality when he takes on Joshua
Ngannou has suggested that he will have a rematch against Fury if he overcomes Joshua
He said: ‘The rematch has never been right away.
‘I think there’s even a slight chance that the ‘right away’ is the Usyk rematch.
‘Because I think their term is even closer, our rematch term was in one year. Within one year. Which is still gonna be in October this year.’