Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou to have unusual rule for major fight after strict demand from UFC legend

Anthony Joshus’s fight against Francis Ngannou is to have an unusual rule after a strict demand from the UFC legend.

On Friday night, the pair are set to enter the ring inside the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

This is going to be Ngannou’s second boxing bout, having been beaten by Tyson Fury on his debut back in October.

Normally, a professional boxing fight takes place over 12 three-minute rounds.

However, Joshua vs Ngannou will instead have only 10 three-minute rounds, after a request from the former UFC champion.

As reported by The Sun, the Cameroonian said: “They told me 12 and I said ‘No, cut it out.’ I’m not taking a Mike Tyson fight as a reference like ‘Oh, I’m a pro boxer now’.

“No, I’m building it up. I just came into it, they asked for ten rounds or 12 rounds, and I said ten.”

Ngannou also spoke about the prospect of having mixed rules, he said: “Anything that he wants. Ring or octagon. The good thing is I’m the one that can go everywhere comfortably. My comfort zone will be the octagon, but I’m going to the ring and putting them in a bad spot in the ring.

“I have my territory [in MMA] where they cannot mess with me. If they come, they will need something like some favour, like, ‘I’ll give you this, we’ll take kicks out.’”

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Ngannou added: “I have to give him something, but when we step in the ring, they don’t give me anything, and I still get them in trouble.”

Ahead of the fight, Joshua said: “On paper, but there's a reality init? Look at how I came up in the game, I came out of nowhere and three years got myself to the Olympics and became Olympic champion.

“In three years as a professional, became world champion. Stranger things have happened in life, but I'm a different beast and I'm ready.”

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You can watch the Joshua vs Ngannou fight live on DAZN here.