Anthony Joshua has a 'wealth of weaknesses' that Francis Ngannou can take advantage of, according to promoter Frank Warren.
Joshua and Ngannou will go head-to-head in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 8 and Warren reckons an upset could be on the cards.
Joshua has won three fights since last April to get his heavyweight boxing career back on track.
He beat Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin in the space of nine months following back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk.
Francis Ngannou has been backed to cause an upset and beat Anthony Joshua
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A bout with Deontay Wilder looked likely before the American was beaten by Joseph Parker in December.
Eddie Hearn mulled over the options and set up a fight with Ngannou, who narrowly lost to Tyson Fury on his boxing debut last October.
Warren admits Joshua is the strong favourite against the former MMA star.
However, he reckons Ngannou has it in his locker to trouble the former Olympic champion.
Warren told the PA news agency: "Joshua’s come into this after his last fight against Wallin.
"He’ll be a big favourite going in, but I know that if he gets caught on the whiskers then this fella [Ngannou] could cause a massive upset because he can whack.
"It’s going to be interesting to see how he takes the fight and to see if he fights on the outside or the inside.
"Ngannou’s game is getting on the inside, he’s a big man, he’s strong. I’m intrigued to see what Ngannou’s learned from his last fight."
Joshua has lost three of his 30 professional fights and Warren believes he has shown enough weaknesses that Ngannou can exploit.
He added: "If I’m fighting AJ, what am I looking to do? I’d look to exploit his weaknesses and there’s a wealth of that which we’ve seen.
"We’ve seen his weaknesses in that first fight against Tubby the Tuba [Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019].
"Also the two fights against Oleksandr Usyk, we can see what they are.
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Tyson Fury was given a huge scare by Francis Ngannou
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"People have seen him wobble a few times in fights, that happens with him.
"I’m not saying there’s a confidence issue, but there wasn’t that where he was such an emphatic fighter. I think he’s changed.
"He’s changed his style a bit, which he should do. His new trainer [Ben Davison] has brought some momentum to him, but he’s going to have a fight on his hands."
Ngannou is already planning his next fight after Joshua, insisting he wants a rematch with Fury.
Anthony Joshua has won three fights since last April
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Many felt he was unlucky to lose against the Gypsy King via a split decision.
Ngannou told MMA Fighting: "I win this fight [against Joshua] and I’m fighting Fury period.
"Whether or not he has the belt. Our rematch term was within next year, so it’s going to be October this year.
"I just want to be free and fight, the thing is with the title is this is a system I don’t want to fall into anymore.
"You have to make a concession with an organisation, I don’t want that political stuff."
