Francis Ngannou is confident he can beat Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight bout on March 8 in Saudi Arabia, stating he’s been ‘calling for these kind of fights for four years’.

The former UFC heavyweight champion is set for his second professional boxing bout when he meets Joshua in Saudi Arabia on March 8 after previously impressing in his defeat against Tyson Fury.

Meanwhile, AJ is looking to maintain his winning streak after beating both Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin after successive defeats to Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the bout next week, Ngannou said: ‘Of course I think I can beat him. I called for the fight. I am here to beat him and that’s why I came over here.

‘I’ve been calling for these kind of fights for four years. I’m not here to show up, I am here to take over. It might sound crazy. It might sound irrational. But that’s what I am committed to and that is what I want.’

Francis Ngannou is confident he can beat Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight bout on March 8 in Saudi Arabia, stating he’s been ‘calling for these kind of fights for four years’

Ngannou stunned Fury and knocked him down in the third round of their clash in October

Ngannou is renowned for his terrifying knockout power and holds the record for the hardest punch in the world that registered his one-hit power at an astonishing 129,161 units.

The former UFC heavyweight champion shocked the Gypsy King – and the boxing world – with a performance that included a third round knockdown of the Brit.

Despite losing the bout, Ngannou silenced all doubters who questioned whether he could compete against Fury in his first professional bout.

And he has maintained that he was unfairly denied a remarkable victory, while insisting he has no intention to wade into the politics of the sport.

‘I’ve been saying this from that night but I was robbed.’ The 37-year-old told Mail Sport. ‘But I think I also brought a lot from that fight.

‘To be honest, he was really cool but wasn’t anything to get me off the chair. The Top 10 and all that stuff, to be honest I’m sceptical towards getting involved in the boxing politics.

‘I’m just here to figure out the good fights and to get them. What happens a lot is boxing politics control some fights and stop great fights from happening, because everyone is concerned about the rankings or positions.

‘They need to win, be at like 20-0, even if it means they haven’t fought anybody. That’s certainly something I don’t really care about.

His next bout will pit him against a rejuvenated AJ, who dismantled Otto Wallin in December

‘In combat sports it’s always risky to take a fight. There’s a risk you can lose – of course you want to win. When you want to be world champion, you’re going to have to face the most ferocious fighters, elite fighters who have the same dream as you. To keep your dream alive you have to kill somebody.’

Ngannou’s performance has catapulted him into the heart of the hotly-contested heavyweight division – no longer an inconsequential attraction but an actual contender in the class.

His next bout will pit him against a rejuvenated Joshua, who dismantled Otto Wallin in December. ‘The Predator’ admitted that he will no longer be able to benefit from being an unknown quantity in his most ‘complex’ fight yet.

‘Obviously the most complex now is AJ because I haven’t fought him.’ He added. He’s the undiscovered one.

‘I watched the fight and he looked good. He was showing all the right signs even though Wallin wasn’t threatening anything at all. AJ did his job and did great.

‘Right after the fight I started to think about what could be next. I realised next time there won’t be the surprise element. Now I’m exposed and everyone will be very prepared. Tyson didn’t know exactly what he was getting into. That will make my life more difficult.

‘I don’t think the hardest puncher means anything. Anybody can knock anybody out in the heavyweight division. The most important thing is to find your spot and know your punch.’

AJ hailed Ngannou’s power in the past, but admitted he is confident he can knockout the former UFC champion in their Saudi Arabian clash

Meanwhile, AJ hailed Ngannou’s power in the past, but admitted he is confident he can knockout the former UFC champion in their Saudi Arabian clash.

‘We knew Francis had a reputation as the biggest puncher in the world but the surprise was how well he boxed.

‘These are notes I’ve already made about him. His style, where he’s dangerous, where he might get caught. By fight night I’ll go into the ring knowing everything about him.

‘All I need to know about getting another f***ing knock out,’ he added.