Anthony Joshua tipped the scales at 252.4lbs ahead of Friday’s heavyweight showdown against Francis Ngannou, who weighed in almost two stones heavier.
The 34-year-old former two-time world champion was just over a pound heavier than in his last bout against Otto Wallin during December.
Ngannou weighed in at 272.6lbs, slightly above what he was for the fight against Tyson Fury in October, a first boxing contest for the former MMA star.
Following the war of words between Ngannou and Fury during Wednesday’s final pre-fight press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, there was little drama as the fighters faced off following the weigh-in.
The winner of Friday’s ‘Knockout Chaos’ headline contest is expected to be in line to face Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, who will finally fight in their undisputed heavyweight bout on May 18 before a rematch takes place later in 2024.
Joshua insisted he had plenty of respect for Ngannou – who put Fury on the canvas in the third round before losing a split decision.
The Briton, though, but intends to remain fully focused on his own performance following on from three victories after the disappointment of defeat by Usyk in August 2022.
“Sometimes when you bow your head and make prayers, miracles do happen, that is all I can say – God is working in my favour,” Joshua said following the weigh-in on DAZN Boxing’s YouTube channel.
Joshua added: “Official prediction…? I deliver – I am the postman.”
Ngannou feels he can once again make the most of his underdog tag to prove doubters wrong.
“I have learnt a little bit from the last fight, the last camp, and leading up to this one, so I get a little bit of experience, but the mindset is still the same,” he said.
“This is just my second boxing match, even though I am taking on the two best guys in the world in boxing.
“I am the underdog, I am going out there to prove that you can be an underdog and stand your ground.”
Ngannou added: “Sometimes it just makes me laugh a little bit, because we are going to fight in boxing rules, but what would happen if it was a ‘free’ fight under MMA rules?
“I would smoke this guy. I am the only one to go in their backyard, none of them can come in my backyard. I would take two of them at once.”
Julien 'The Black Dragon' Baptiste eyes bigger stage after defending Massachusetts middleweight title
Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste, the reigning Massachusetts Middleweight boxing champion, successfully defended his title last Saturday, November 9, with a sixth-round TKO victory over Anthony Hines at Fall Reckoning in Dorchester. The main event saw Baptiste overwhelm his opponent with a flurry of punches, prompting the referee to stop the bout at 2:35 of the penultimate round.
With the victory, Baptiste improved his professional record to 8-4-1, cementing his place as a dominant force in the Massachusetts boxing scene. Reflecting on the win, he expressed gratitude and acknowledged the hard work that went into his preparation.
“And STILL!!!!” Baptiste exclaimed. “I would like to thank God ?? for another opportunity for me to showcase my skills and talents. Training camp was on point from beginning to end. Mark DeLuca made sure that I got 1% better each day. Was it easy? Hell no ?, but if you want to stay champion, you’re gonna have to be uncomfortable until you get comfortable to get the job done.”
The fight marked another milestone in Baptiste’s journey, one that began in his youth as the son of Jamaican and Grenadian parents. His mother, Donna Holder Willemsen, hails from Duncans in Trelawny, Jamaica, while his father, Egbert Baptiste, who is battling cancer, is from Grenada. Julien credits both of them for his drive and determination.
“Their strength and spirit, along with my mother’s, drive me to success,” he said.
Baptiste’s introduction to boxing came after his college football career as an All-American free safety. While pursuing his NFL dreams, he was invited to a boxing gym by a cousin from Jamaica, and from that moment, he found a new passion.
“I fell in love with it,” he recalled. “I was there every day. That was in New York. Then I left New York and came to Massachusetts, back to the town I went to school at, looking for work. The first gym I worked at just happened to have a boxing gym and a coach. And here I am now as Massachusetts champion.”
In 2023, Baptiste captured the vacant United States Boxing Federation (USBF) Middleweight title, which he has successfully defended three times. His Massachusetts title has also been defended on three occasions, adding to his growing legacy.
“I know what is at stake every time I fight because my belts are on the line every time I fight. Whenever I fight here in Massachusetts, both my belts are on the line,” he said.
Now 35, Baptiste acknowledges that time is not on his side in the sport, but he remains focused on his ultimate goals.
“I’m coming to the end of my athletic career. I just want to get on ESPN,” he said. “I fought on ESPN earlier this year at Madison Square Garden in February and lost by split decision. I want to get back on that stage, so hopefully by next year, I should be back on a bigger stage on television or something of that nature.”
Beyond boxing, Baptiste’s aspirations include securing a home and retiring from the sport with his health intact.
“I want to leave the game with my mind and my brains, my health. I want to be one of the ones leaving with my health. I want to help the youth and show that there are ways to get out of situations to better yourself,” he said.
With his dedication, resilience, and a drive rooted in his Caribbean heritage, Julien Baptiste continues to embody the spirit of a champion both inside and outside the ring.
Australia 0-0 Saudi Arabia: Visitors denied last-gasp winner on Renard's return
Saudi Arabia had a stoppage-time goal ruled out as Herve Renard's first game since returning as Saudi Arabia head coach ended in a 0-0 draw against Australia in World Cup qualifying.
Sultan Al-Ghannam fired through a sea of bodies in the 94th minute of Thursday's Group C contest at AAMI Park, but the celebrations were cut short due to an offside infringement.
Referee Ali Saeed Al Naqbi had earlier irked the home side by awarding a 12th-minute penalty for an Ahmed Al-Kassar challenge on Mitch Duke, which was then overturned.
Replays showed the incident happened just outside the box, but Australia felt the Saudi keeper should have been sent off and not issued just a yellow card.
Joe Gauci pulled off a fine double save later in the first half, albeit the offside flag later went up, but it was Australia who did more to win the game prior to the late drama.
Brandon Borrello was played clean through on goal and opted to square to Riley McGree, who was unable to help the ball past covering defender Saud Abdulhamid in front of goal.
Data Debrief: Another blank for both sides
Australia entered this game without a goal against Saudi Arabia in 2,716 days - a run that will extend for a little while longer after this latest blank.
The Socceroos have failed to score in three of their five third-round qualifying games, while Saudi Arabia have gone three in a row without netting.
Tony Popovic's side will justifiably argue they did more to win the game, though, finishing with an expected goals value (xG) of 1.31 to Saudi Arabia's 0.05, but the teams remain locked on points in Group C.
Mancini leaves Saudi Arabia job
Roberto Mancini has left his role as head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team, the country's football federation has confirmed.
Mancini reached a surprise agreement with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) in 2023, just a few weeks after resigning as Italy coach.
However, the former Inter and Manchester City boss struggled to make an impact in the role, only winning seven of his 18 matches at the helm.
He also oversaw an underwhelming Asian Cup campaign in January, as Saudi Arabia were beaten in a last-16 penalty shoot-out by South Korea in Qatar.
A statement issued by the SAFF read: "The Board of Directors of the Saudi Football Federation and the coach of the national team, Roberto Mancini, reached a joint agreement today, which includes the end of the contractual relationship."
Mancini's position had reportedly been under consideration following a goalless draw with Bahrain earlier this month, a result that leaves them outside the automatic spots in their 2026 World Cup qualification group.
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