Francis Ngannou gives tongue-in-cheek response to Anthony Joshua changing mind about facing him - "It's still a gimmick fight"

Francis Ngannou believes his boxing match with Anthony Joshua is a gimmick fight.

'The Predator' is currently slated to meet 'AJ' in his second boxing match next month in Saudi Arabia. For Ngannou, the fight will be his first since facing Tyson Fury late last year. In October, the PFL heavyweight dropped and nearly upset 'The Gypsy King'.

However, the British boxer still emerged with a split-decision win after 10 rounds of action. Despite a loss, many were impressed with Ngannou's performance. The bout was so impressive that it caused Eddie Hearn to change his mind about the heavyweight.

The promoter, as well as Joshua, famously labeled Ngannou's fight with Fury a "gimmick fight". The British boxer previously stated that he wouldn't fight the former UFC champion for that exact reason as well. However, Joshua wound up changing his mind.

The two heavyweights recently appeared on DAZN Boxing's Face Off. Ngannou and Joshua went face-to-face, with the latter backing off of his previous comments. In the video, the British boxer stated:

"No [it's not a gimmick fight], it's the biggest challenge of my life."

Ngannou, joking, shot back:

"No, it's a still gimmick fight. The fight is a gimmick, I think it's very funny."

Check out his comments in the video below (2:00)

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Pay-per-view details announced for Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou

Earlier today, news about Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou's pay-per-view was announced.

While the aforementioned DAZN Boxing Face Off video was released, that wasn't all. Earlier today, Matchroom Boxing confirmed broadcasting details for the heavyweight clash going down on March 8.

If one is in the United States, they'll be able to catch the heavyweight bout on DAZN pay-per-view. That comes as no surprise, given Joshua's long-standing deal with the streaming service.

Along with that came broadcasting details for those in the UK. Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou will stream not only on DAZN pay-per-view but TNT Sports pay-per-view as well. Fans will be able to go through either provider to watch the action unfold.

For fans looking forward to the heavyweight clash, they should be aware that there's a lot more action going down next month. As of now, the co-main event for the card is the return of WBO interim heavyweight champion Zhilei Zhang vs. Joseph Parker.

As of now, other bouts include Justis Huni vs. Kevin Lerena and Nick Ball vs. Rey Vargas. Regardless of how fans choose to watch the card, they're in store for a great night.