Francis Ngannou remains adamant that his defeat against Tyson Fury in October was a robbery, as he and Anthony Joshua sized each other up in Saudi Arabia ahead of the hugely-anticipated clash in Match.
The former UFC heavyweight champion shocked the Gypsy King – and the boxing world – with a performance that included a third round knockdown of the Brit.
Despite losing the bout, Ngannou silenced all doubters who questioned whether he could compete against Fury in his first professional bout.
And he has maintained that he was unfairly denied a remarkable victory, while insisting he has no intention to wade into the politics of the sport.
‘I’ve been saying this from that night but I was robbed.’ The 37-year-old told Mail Sport. ‘But I think I also brought a lot from that fight.
Francis Ngannou stunned Tyson Fury and knocked him down in the third round of their clash in October
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‘To be honest, he was really cool but wasn’t anything to get me off the chair. The Top 10 and all that stuff, to be honest I’m sceptical towards getting involved in the boxing politics.
‘I’m just here to figure out the good fights and to get them. What happens a lot is boxing politics control some fights and stop great fights from happening, because everyone is concerned about the rankings or positions.
‘They need to win, be at like 20-0, even if it means they haven’t fought anybody. That’s certainly something I don’t really care about.
‘In combat sports it’s always risky to take a fight. There’s a risk you can lose – of course you want to win. When you want to be world champion, you’re going to have to face the most ferocious fighters, elite fighters who have the same dream as you. To keep your dream alive you have to kill somebody.’
Ngannou’s performance has catapulted him into the heart of the hotly-contested heavyweight division – no longer an inconsequential attraction but an actual contender in the class.
His next bout will pit him against a rejuvenated Joshua, who dismantled Otto Wallin last month. ‘The Predator’ admitted that he will no longer be able to benefit from being an unknown quantity in his most ‘complex’ fight yet.
The 37-year-old will test his abilities against a rejuvenated Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia in March
‘Obviously the most complex now is AJ because I haven’t fought him.’ He added. He’s the undiscovered one.
‘I watched the fight and he looked good. He was showing all the right signs even though Wallin wasn’t threatening anything at all. AJ did his job and did great.
‘Right after the fight I started to think about what could be next. I realised next time there won’t be the surprise element. Now I’m exposed and everyone will be very prepared. Tyson didn’t know exactly what he was getting into. That will make my life more difficult.
‘I don’t think the hardest puncher means anything. Anybody can knock anybody out in the heavyweight division. The most important thing is to find your spot and know your punch.’