Anthony Joshua has vowed to “make a statement” and deliver a knockout victory over Francis Ngannou in Friday’s crossover super-fight in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua is currently on a three-fight winning streak and building back towards being in world title contention, most recently despatching Otto Wallin in a dominant five-round win in December.

AJ is expecting a different test against Ngannou in their non-title contest, having seen the mixed martial arts star push Tyson Fury close in his professional boxing debut last October, although is relishing the opportunity to impress again.

“I believe I can knock him out,” Joshua exclusively told Sky Sports. “Definitely. I would love to knock him out and make a statement.

“Physically I feel strong, feeling good. Strong enough to get the job done and mentally I’m in a place where I’m ready for war. I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“Mentally I don’t worry so much about my opponent and look at what my opponent can bring to me and think, ‘how can I overcome these challenges they present?’ I work really hard to up my game and look forward to showing everything I’ve worked on.”

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