Despite closing in on a world title shot against Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, Joe Joyce also has one name he’d like to share the ring with.
The 2016 Olympic silver medallist is currently one of the leading contenders at heavyweight, but it’s UFC that has some of his focus as he has expressed a desire to face France’s Francis Ngannou.
Joyce has enjoyed a stellar 2022 with wins over Christian Hammer and Joseph Parker, and a huge opportunity appears very likely in 2023.
Although his main priority is to capture a version of the heavyweight title, Joyce has also made it clear that a showdown with Ngannou, a man he sparred with, is a challenge he would love to take on.
“It was a good experience to spar him. He’s a freak of nature. He’s got phenomenal power,” said Joyce when speaking to Give Me Sport. “Most of the time I was trying to get away from those power shots to avoid getting my head taken off.
“I’d love to fight him though but let’s keep it simple with boxing. The UFC is too much, man. Credit to all those guys because they have to train so hard in all these different areas.
“They have to be so well-rounded in the kicking, the striking, the grappling and the submissions and all that so it’s a lot you have to train for.”