Ngannou Not Going for the Knockout Against Joshua

Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou (0-1, 0 KOs) has stated that he does not plan to specifically hunt for a knockout in his fight against former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs).

Do you expect to be able to knock AJ out?

-Yes, absolutely. But I shouldn't enter the ring with the thought: "Oh, I have to knock him out." Because the knockout should come naturally.

The only fight in my career where I went for the knockout ended very badly for me – it was the fight against Stipe Miocic (Francis lost by unanimous decision in the UFC). I entered that fight thinking: "Okay, I'll go knock this guy out" – and I ended up losing.

After that, I decided that I just needed to return to my usual self. Then, in my subsequent fights, I knocked out opponents in 20, in 45 seconds, without looking for the knockout.

So, I won't be looking for a knockout in the fight with Joshua, but I'll be looking for the fight. If I gather all the necessary information and at some point, the opportunity presents itself, then I'll take that opportunity – and then we might see a knockout, - said Ngannou.

The showdown is scheduled for March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.