"If It Were Fury": Hearn Anxious Before Joshua-Ngannou Fight

British promoter Eddie Hearn expresses more anxiety about his athlete Anthony Joshua's (27-3, 24 KOs) fight against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou (0-1, 0 KOs) than if he were fighting Tyson Fury.

- AJ, as we've discussed, is a different fighter compared to August 2022, and now after the journey he's been on, how different do you think he is? Because you've obviously seen him up close.

- Yes, he said it the other day, didn't he? "I got lost and found myself." I think that's a good way to describe it. I believe he always wanted to evolve as a fighter, and he had to go away and figure himself out, sort out his technique, and now he's a versatile fighter.

He's got his aggression and confidence back thanks to improved footwork and defense. But again, it's just such an opponent today. If it were someone else in the world, honestly, if it were Tyson Fury, be it Usyk, I wouldn't be as nervous as I am now.

Because we just don't know this guy. He's a giant. He has that look, you know, it's going to be tough. You have to keep chopping until he falls like a tree. Tonight will be hard, but we'll go out and show the world that Joshua is the best heavyweight fighter," said Hearn.

The Joshua-Ngannou fight is the main event on the boxing card on March 8th in Saudi Arabia.