Anthony Joshua appeared focused and stoic throughout Monday's press conference ahead of his March 8 fight against Francis Ngannou, but when it came time to speak the Briton was direct in what he plans to do when the fighters step into the ring in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Joshua has made it clear that he wants to regain the heavyweight title belts he lost to current WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, but the fight against MMA star Ngannou is a non-title bout that will come just weeks after Usyk takes on WBC champion Tyson Fury in an undisputed championship tilt.
With the Ngannou bout not necessarily a step towards an eventual title shot, Joshua explained what his motivation is ahead of facing the former UFC champion.
"Every fight leads to somewhere," Joshua said. "This fight is my everything: my soul, my spirit, my mind, my body. Right now I’m not thinking about any championship belts.
"My main focus is Francis and getting through an intensive, focused training camp, because how I train is how I fight."
Ngannou made his professional boxing debut last year against Fury in a match that turned many heads due to the Cameroonian's ability to take the WBC champion the distance. With the display put on by Ngannou in that fight, Joshua now has video on his opponent's abilities in the boxing ring, and he spoke on what differentiates Ngannou from other fighters — and what it's going to take to defeat him.
"I won't say too much, but he brings two arms, a body, like every other fighter does," Joshua said. "But it's just his mind is different to everyone. Everyone has their own unique... like, they're unique in their own way.
"But in terms of the frame and the make-up of someone, he's seen people like me, I've seen people like him many times before, but it's just his mind that I have to conquer in the ring.
"You have to take someone's soul, you have to take their spirit. And I'm looking forward to the challenge for sure.
"And that's it really, it's going to be good. It's going to be explosive, but [there are] many ways to skin a cat.
"I can counter punch, he can counter punch, we can both box as he's proven himself to. We can both trade [punches] and it's going to be a good, good fight."