With information, analysis, and odds from Pinnacle, make informed boxing MMA predictions ahead of Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker vs. Zhilei Zhang on March 8.
On Friday, March 8, Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou squared off in a major heavyweight bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua of Watford has competed against fighters such as Wladimir Klitschko, Andy Ruiz, Joseph Parker, and Oleksandr Usyk.
Ngannou, who trained in mixed martial arts, is just participating in his second professional boxing contest; yet, his win over Tyson Fury in his debut suggests that “The Predator” has a chance against Joshua.
Another former world heavyweight champion will compete in the co-main event in Riyadh next month when Joseph Parker challenges Zhilei Zhang for the WBO interim heavyweight title.
Joshua is the Money Line favorite at 1.196*, while Ngannou is a 4.650* outsider looking to win his first boxing match.
Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: What’s the point?
You would expect just one winner based on these two fighters’ records, and the odds point to Joshua as the most likely winner.
Throughout his professional career, the British boxer has defeated opponents such as Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Kubrat Pulev, Dillian Whyte, and Alexander Povetkin. As such, he possesses the expertise and knowledge necessary for major fight nights.
Joshua’s record is considerably more impressive than Ngannou’s, who has only competed in one professional boxing match that resulted in a loss.
But in the battle last year, “The Predator” gave world-class heavyweight Fury a lot of trouble, even sending the undefeated Gypsy King to the canvas in the third round. Although there isn’t any boxing format on which to evaluate the Cameroonian, there appears to be a lot of unrealized potential.
Though the odds might not suggest it, Ngannou might be among Joshua’s most formidable rivals.
Usyk twice soundly defeated the Watford player, while Ruiz stopped, dropped, and shocked him. Joshua was nearly stopped and knocked down, even during his triumph over Klitschko.
In October, Ngannou injured Fury, demonstrating his immense strength, and punching power seems to be Joshua’s weakness.
In those two fights against Usyk, the British fighter was incredibly wary and appeared afraid of getting struck, yet the Ukrainian heavyweight is not a huge puncher.
In his most recent fights, Joshua outplayed Otto Wallin and Robert Helenius, two very good boxers who put up very little of a fight.
That won’t be the case in Saudi Arabia, where Ngannou is predicted to surpass what appear to be extremely dismissive odds and nail some big shots on Joshua.
Zhang is the odds-on favorite at 1.456*, while Parker, the former WBO champion, is the underdog at 2.800*.
Joseph Parker vs. Zhilei Zhang: Where’s the value?
When Parker fights Zhilei Zhang in the Saudi co-main event, he appears poised for another significant victory after turning in one of his best performances to date against Deontay Wilder.
Throughout his career, the New Zealander has competed at the highest level and held the title of world heavyweight champion. He is a bright, well-trained boxer who has proven that he can find solutions when facing a range of techniques and styles.
Zhang’s record features two significant wins over Joe Joyce; in their September 2022 fight, the British fighter proved to be too strong for Parker. As a 40-year-old veteran, the favorite is undoubtedly nearing the end of his career.
Parker should be the favorite in this fight because Zhang is being given much too much credit by the oddsmakers, even though the Chinese heavyweight has a good chance in what might be a close fight.
Get the most recent boxing odds for each match by visiting Pinnacle.
