Claressa Shields: Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou will be close | ‘A split decision going either way’ | Boxing News

Claressa Shields, the boxing star who also competes in MMA, expects Anthony Joshua versus Francis Ngannou to be a close fight. In fact she thinks it will be so tight she is tipping it to be a split decision.

Ngannou is a former UFC heavyweight champion who has only had one professional boxing contest. On March 8, live on Sky Sports Box Office, he will take on two-time unified titlist Anthony Joshua.

Tyson Fury beat Ngannou on a contentious split decision in his last fight and Shields believes Joshua could have a difficult contest too with the mixed martial artist.

« I think it’s going to be a good fight. At first I kind of felt that AJ was going to knock out Ngannou, that’s how I saw the fight. Now it’s kind of shifted on, I feel like it’ll be a split decision going either guy’s way, » Shields told Sky Sports.

« I say that because it feels like AJ has a lot to prove and I feel like when he’s got a lot to prove sometimes he puts too much pressure on himself and he doesn’t fight his fight. And if he doesn’t fight his fight against Francis, Francis is a big, strong and powerful guy too so it can be a closer fight.

« I believe that AJ has everything in the tank to beat Francis. He just has to do it. »

Shields, an undisputed boxing champion as well as a two-time Olympic gold medallist, has a genuine respect for MMA, especially as she’ll be competing in it. Shields’ next bout in the PFL SmartCage is on Saturday.

« I say that [Joshua-Ngannou will be close] because of how competitive he was against Tyson Fury. Tyson Fury didn’t take the fight seriously. I think that us boxers have this mental thing where we feel like MMA fighters don’t have good boxing, » she said.

« But Francis is one of those fighters who does mostly stand up when he fights. So he has a pretty good boxing background, pretty good stand up.

« But us as boxers don’t really take that seriously coming from an MMA fighter.

« I feel like if Tyson had done his homework he would have seen, okay, this guy can definitely be a challenge. »

Ngannou has been effective in boxing, and Shields believes learning MMA will help her as a boxer.

« I feel like I’m great without it. I think it makes me greater and it makes me a better fighter overall. I feel like MMA has added some more knowledge of boxing for me. How they punch, the angles and stuff like that, I can still use that in boxing, » she said.

« I can still use some of the footwork to set up shots and I know I can hit them from a distance they can’t hit me from. It kind of gives me a higher IQ. It definitely adds but it’s just two different sports for sure. »

She has every intention of returning to boxing later this year and insists she will be more formidable when she does.

« I’m still getting better as a fighter because I never settle on my last performance. I make all my performances better and that’s why none of these girls can keep up. You’re not getting the Claressa you’ve seen fight against Savannah Marshall, » she said.

« When I come back to boxing, people think I looked good against Savannah Marshall and against Maricela Cornejo, oh just wait till I come back, I’m going to be better than that. I’ve gotten better after every fight.

« I have skill, I have power. I’m just the greatest of all time. »

Watch Joshua vs Ngannou live on Sky Sports Box Office on Friday March 8.