Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Odds, How to Watch Heavyweight Bout

Before March Madness takes over the sports-betting spotlight, I have my eye on a clash between two bazookas in the squared circle.

This Friday (March 8th), former unified heavyweight champion Anthony "AJ" Joshua (27-3, 24 KO) will slug it out with UFC champ-turned-boxer Francis "The Predator" Ngannou (0-1). Labeled as Knockout Chaos, this event will be hosted at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Set for 10 rounds, Joshua-Ngannou will be the main event of a nine-bout fight card. For all match information (betting odds, how to watch, fighter and full card details), read below:

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou Fight Odds

All Joshua-Ngannou boxing odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
Updated March 8, 2024 at 12:10 p.m. ET

Moneyline

• Joshua: -440
• Ngannou: +330

Round Total

• 5.5 rounds (-192/+150)

Will Fight Go the Distance?

• Yes: +215
• No: -290

Method Of Victory

• Joshua by Points or Decision: +280
• Joshua by KO/TKO: -135
• Draw: +2600
• Ngannou by Points or Decision: +1800
• Ngannou by KO/TKO: +390

Specific round betting for Joshua-Ngannou is also available at FanDuel Sportsbook.

How To Watch Joshua vs. Ngannou

DAZN is the official broadcaster for Knockout Chaos. The entire event will be available to stream online (DAZN.com) or via the app with an existing subscription.

The card is slated to begin Friday (March 8th) at 11 a.m. ET with main event ringwalks for Joshua and Ngannou scheduled tentatively for 5:50 p.m. ET. Keep in mind that this fight will be hosted many time zones away in Saudi Arabia -- Riyadh Season is still churning strong.

Fighter History

Anthony Joshua

A titan of the heavyweight circuit, Anthony Joshua has done well to string together a three-fight win streak after losing back-to-back scraps with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. Since then, Joshua has been dominant in the ring, showcasing two stoppage victories in that span. Throughout his entire professional career, "AJ" boasts an 88.9% KO rate.

We last saw Joshua in action less than three months ago when he bruised up fellow giant Otto Wallin. That match was also hosted in Riyadh and saw Joshua consistently pepper Wallin. To close out the fifth round, AJ landed a flush right-left combination to his opponent's head. Wallin stayed upright until the bell, but the Swede's corner threw in the towel from there.

Joshua presents a dangerous harmony of size, skill and physical conditioning. Towering at 6-foot-6, AJ works with an expansive reach of 82 inches. Notably, he is built like a mythological figure; Joshua's impressive muscle mass should allow him to fare well against the very stout Ngannou.

Heading into Friday's fight, FanDuel Sportsbook has Joshua listed as a steeper favorite (-440 odds) versus Ngannou than he was in his most recent bout against Wallin. Considering the former UFCer's confident showing in his professional boxing debut, AJ cannot take this match lightly.

Francis Ngannou

A household name amongst the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Francis Ngannou is undoubtedly one of the most powerful punchers on the planet. He is a knockout artist, earning a dozen KOs through 17 total wins in Dana White's organization.

Moving over to the squared circle, Ngannou made his professional boxing premiere just prior to last Halloween. "The Predator" took on the herculean task of debuting against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Ngannou more than held his own, scoring a third-round knockdown. He also showed deliberation versus "The Gypsy King," landing a total of 59 punches, according to CompuBox.

Ngannou was judged as the winner against Fury on one of three cards but ultimately fell short. Still, that decision came with controversy, as Ngannou out-landed the Englishman in power punches (37 to 32). Now taking on another British fighter of imposing heights, how will Ngannou proceed?

Standing at 6-foot-4, 255+ pounds, Ngannou certainly does not look like he is on the cusp of cruiserweight. He proved against Fury that he won't be bullied around by a taller boxer, displaying quality ring generalship. With that in mind, a light play on the Cameroonian to either win by knockout/TKO (+390 odds) or last the entire fight (+215 odds to complete all 10 rounds) -- like he did with Fury -- could hold value.

Keep in mind: FanDuel Sportsbook had Ngannou listed longer than 11-to-1 outright against Fury. Taking on Joshua, Ngannou currently shows +330 odds on the moneyline. That is noticeably down from +370 on Monday (Mar. 4).

Joshua-Ngannou Full Card

• Main Event: Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou

  • Heavyweight bout

• Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker

  • WBO interim heavyweight title bout

• Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball

  • WBC featherweight title bout

• Gavin Gwynne vs. Mark Chamberlain

  • Lightweight bout

• Justis Huni vs. Kevin Lerena

  • Heavyweight bout

• Roman Fury vs. Martin Svarc

  • Heavyweight bout

• Jack McGann vs. Louis Green

  • Light middleweight bout

• Ziyad Almaayouf vs. Christian Lopez Flores

  • Super lightweight bout

• Andrii Novytski vs. Juan Torres

  • Heavyweight bout

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.