Anthony Joshua opens up on subtle improvement he made to defeat 'juggernaut' Francis Ngannou
Anthony Joshua has revealed what his gameplan against Francis Ngannou was after knocking out the MMA legend.
After a close fight against Tyson Fury, Ngannou proved that he could make the transition from MMA to boxing as one of the heaviest hitters in combat sports.
It saw Cameroonian face up against AJ earlier this year in March, who is no slouch when it comes to powerful punching.
Many expected to be a close contest, just like Ngannou's fight against Fury months earlier in October.
Anthony Joshua has explained how he beat Francis Ngannou
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But just two rounds in, Joshua knocked the Predator clean out with a wicked right hook - a weapon he had found great joy with throughout the bout.
And the two-time heavyweight world champion has credited his win not with his strength - but his mind.
"I always look at the Ngannou fight, the guy was a juggernaut," he told DAZN.
"He was massive and I thought to myself if I only depended on strength it would have been a lot tougher fight.
"But due to the fact I went through a process where I tried to improve my IQ, I was able to dispatch of the goliath in quick fashion.
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"I'm not saying he was an elite boxer but I took it on the on the premises of what he done with Tyson Fury."
Joshua will be back in the ring on September 21 when he faces fellow Briton Daniel Dubois for the IBF title.
While Triple D might have the belt, many consider him to be the underdog when he faces AJ - who looks like he has his mojo back after back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Anthony Joshua knocked Francis Ngannou out in the second round
Under new trainer Ben Davison, the Watford-born star has learnt when to use aggression and when to exercise patience expertly and not simply rely on his strength.
It was a fault that proved fatal against Andy Ruiz Jr in his shock defeat to the Mexican in June 2019.
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But having now tasted defeat three times, it appears the pressure is off Joshua, who looks much more relaxed ahead of his fights nowadays than before.
However, Dubois is no cheerleader and can pack a heavy punch himself and an exciting tie awaits the British public at Wembley later this month.