Once called ‘SUPER HUMAN’ by Joe Rogan, Yoel Romero honestly admits he fears Francis Ngannou

Anthony Joshua is set to take on Francis Ngannou this week for a 10-round regulated heavyweight boxing bout.

Once called ‘SUPER HUMAN’ by Joe Rogan, Yoel Romero honestly admits he fears Francis Ngannou

Over the years, Francis Ngannou's raw strength had left many peers nad pundits in awe (Source: IMAGO/Instagram)

Francis Ngannou made his pro boxing debut last year. He shocked the world with the knockdown of boxing’s lineal heavyweight, Tyson Fury, despite a decision loss at last. Currently, the ex-UFC heavyweight faces Anthony Joshua in the ‘Knockout Chaos’ headliner in Riyadh. The 10-round heavyweight clash PPV event on DAZN is part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to extend combat sports culture. Ahead of this, Yoel Romero Palacio has lauded the debutant pro boxer.

Romero is a Cuban MMA fighter, currently in the light heavyweight division for Bellator MMA. As a former 185lber in the UFC, he was quite the genetic beast. So much so that even color commentator Joe Rogan has many a time pondered on his unnatural strength in The JRE MMA Show. Currently, appearing on the Yoel “The Soldier of God” Romero – The Ultimate Interview segment for La Sueur (a DAZN exclusive). he said:

[On who impresses him] I respect all athletes...For fear? Ngannou. Yeah...Honestly, it’s not the size...but I feel he has a lot of power. I like to study sports and I have seen him fight...In his early days, he touched but there was no technique behind it…Over the years he has become better and his technique has become better. Now he has learned how to hit, and that's the problem: technique and power.
Yoel Romero to La Sueur, The Ultimate Interview segment
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On a 3-win streak, Joshua meets the new boxer at the Kingdom Arena. This happens in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at 11 a.m. ET. Most professional boxing fights are 12 rounds, but this one is ten at the behest of the ‘Predator’. Ngannou went 10 rounds in his debut and wants to match his output similarly; not that his output is ever the problem. Last time he wowed the boxing sphere with his athleticism.

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Ngannou boasts excessive striking power, effortlessly achieving feats others can’t. Yoel Romero touches on this, on his advancement of power and technique over the years. UFC’s Khamzat Chimaev, who usually douses fighting words everywhere, had once shared a similar fearful sentiment as well. Ngannou’s power remains a sight to behold.

Francis Ngannou engages in light trolling ahead of facing Anthony Joshua

New boxing sensation, Francis Ngannou is ready to make his second pro-boxing outing soon. Leaving the comfort of an octagon behind, he faces Anthony Joshua at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Friday, March 8th.

Joshua last bagged a momentous win against Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin in the ‘Day of Reckoning‘ event for Riyadh’s extended boxing season. Meanwhile, Ngannou had an electric debut at its opening ceremony. Despite it not amounting to a huge win, the French-Cameroonian garnered heaps of praise from fans and peers.

Francis Ngannou pokes fun at Anthony Joshua
Francis Ngannou pokes fun at Anthony Joshua (Source: Twitter)

Now, he has taken to lightheartedly jesting at Joshua. Taking to his IG account, he said:

Me and@gymsharkfound your missing earphone@anthonyjoshua? (swipe to see)...
Francis Ngannou via IG (@francisngannou)

A swipe at the video shows the fighter sitting at the edge of a ring, browsing through Anthony Joshua’s supposed playlist. The titles of the songs hilariously detail an inner monologue of fear and insecurity. These include “Face your fears and become unstoppable” (The Resilient Mind) and even “Survive” (Femi Lazarus). Quite an apt sentiment if one faces the ‘Predator‘.

There’s a shadowboxing tutorial and even The JRE MMA Show #146 with Francis Ngannou himself. This comes in light of Joshua wearing only one earbud at his first promo face-off with the fighter. Later appearing on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani (for MMAFighting on SBN), he disregarded “observant” Helwani’s request to divulge trade secrets.

Responses to the IG post have lauded the wholehearted yet light disposition the matter represents. Most fighters engage in excessive trash talk that goes beyond the bounds of decency. Hence, Ngannou’s subtle diss at the opponent-to-be is something the boxing community finds exciting.

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