The mind-blowing stats behind Francis Ngannou's record-breaking punch power ahead of Anthony Joshua fight

Francis Ngannou's record-breaking punch power has already been outlined by UFC president Dana White ahead of his highly-anticipated fight against Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia.

Ngannou takes on Joshua in just his second professional boxing bout in Riyadh on Friday night UK time.

He fought Tyson Fury to a split decision loss in the city back in October, although many fans believed he was unfortunate to be on the receiving end of defeat.

Joshua is odds-on favourite to inflict a second loss on the former UFC heavyweight champion, but Ngannou's performance in the Fury fight has led some to believe that an upset could be on the cards.

A stacked roster of famous faces are in attendance for the fight, including Fury himself and former Chelsea and Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.

One thing Joshua must watch out for in Saudi Arabia is Ngannou's sensational punching power - especially as the French-Cameroonian fighter is naturally right-handed but often favours punching with his left hand.

That was on show at UFC 218, when he knocked out Alistair Overeem in the first round with a stunning left-handed uppercut.

You can watch a clip of that knockout below.

In 2017, Ngannou recorded the hardest punch ever measured when visiting the UFC's Performance Center.

And speaking to talkSPORT in 2021, UFC president White laid out some incredible numbers that underline just how powerful 'The Predator' really is.

White explained: "Francis is a guy who has the world record for the most powerful punch.

"His punches are equivalent to 96 horsepower. That's equal to getting hit by a Ford Escort going as fast as it can.

"It's more powerful than a 12-pound sledgehammer from full force overhead. Holy s**t."

We can't quite imagine what it must be like to get hit by either one of those, but one thing is for certain - Joshua will be desperate to avoid a pure strike from either of Ngannou's hands when he sets foot inside the ring in Riyadh.

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