Michael Bisping has paid tribute to Anthony Joshua and commended the British heavyweight on agreeing to a fight with Francis Ngannou.
Joshua is expected to face Ngannou in March as he looks to continue his path to a third world title and Bisping, a former UFC superstar like Ngannou, believes Joshua doesn't have much to gain from facing the Frenchman.
Last October, Ngannou made the switch to boxing and he made a huge impression on his professional debut when he faced Tyson Fury.
Ngannou dropped the current WBC champion, but he was unable to secure the win as he was narrowly beaten on points. Despite enduring defeat, Ngannou’s stock went through the roof, and he’s now set to face Joshua.
“AJ does deserve a lot of respect here,” said Bisping when speaking on his on his Believe You Me podcast.
“He has no need to box Francis Ngannou, doesn’t really gain anything with a win other than solidifying another victory, then being 4-0 in his last four and probably will get the winner of [Oleksandr] Usyk and Tyson Fury.”