Can Ngannou become a title contender with a win over Joshua?

Less than 90 days ago, Francis Ngannou had never crossed the ropes for a professional boxing match.

We knew Ngannou possessed overwhelming power, but all of that was on display in the Octagon, where he reigned as UFC heavyweight champion.

The 37-year-old was seen as little more than a worthy dance partner for a boxing superfight before his October meeting with Tyson Fury.

However, Ngannou showed he was much more than that when he knocked out the heavyweight boxing champion in the third round and even won the fight on one of the three scorecards.

Now, Ngannou has an incredible opportunity to prove his performance was no fluke when he faces former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In reality, what Ngannou is doing is unprecedented: His first two professional boxing matches will take place against future Hall of Famers, who are still among the sport's heavyweight elite.

Joshua looked his best in years when he stopped Otto Wallin in five rounds last month. Can he build on his resurgent 2023 campaign? Will Ngannou shock the world again? Let's take a first look at the main Joshua vs. Ngannou storylines:

Ngannou seeks to prove his performance against Fury was no fluke

When you break it down, it's pretty amazing how effective Ngannou was against Fury. Fury entered the fight as a -1400 favorite, but looked confused at times and unable to find his timing.

The Cameroonian showed a keen sense of range control with his jab, pairing that with his power and awkward style to make Fury hesitate to attack. Ngannou also showed his ability to place his shots. His left hook landed on Fury's temple for the only knockdown of the fight.

Now, how much of that success was down to Fury? He is the best heavyweight in the world – a status he will look to cement when he meets Oleksandr Usyk on February 17 in Riyadh – but perhaps Fury did not take Ngannou seriously.

Fury swears he trained hard for 12 weeks to prepare for Ngannou, but his father said otherwise. Even if he trained correctly, it is plausible that he underestimated Ngannou.

Joshua is unlikely to make the same mistake after the way Ngannou boxed. And now there are 10 rounds of Ngannou boxing tape for Joshua and trainer Ben Davison to study.

Often in combat sports, young fighters are successful until opponents and coaches can study their weaknesses. If Ngannou can trouble Joshua – let alone defeat him – there is no doubt that he is real.

If Ngannou creates a surprise, he is a title contender. What if he loses?

It depends on how he loses. Consensus fan opinion suggested that Ngannou deserved the decision against Fury. He also won the fight on a single scorecard. And even if he didn't, putting down “The Gypsy King” was a victory in itself.

In his second boxing match, more will be expected from Ngannou. If he drops another spirited move, there's no doubt he's a true heavyweight contender.

If he loses a wide decision but is competitive, he will still be a contender and, thanks to his name recognition, should find his way to another lucrative boxing match.

But if he isn't competitive through 10 rounds or gets knocked out early, it could mean the end of Ngannou's incredible run.

And if he pulls off the clash and beats Joshua, then Ngannou will be in line for a shot against the winner of Fury-Usyk and another meaningful fight in the meantime, whether it's Zhilei Zhang, Deontay Wilder or Joseph Parker .

Speaking of Wilder, wasn't he supposed to fight Joshua in March?

Indeed, he was. Wilder and Joshua even reached a deal ahead of their Dec. 23 doubleheader that featured them in separate fights.

Wilder, one of the most highly touted punchers in heavyweight history, was a -700 favorite to defeat Parker. Instead, Parker won every round and was the one who threatened to score the knockout.

In the main event, Joshua took care of business when he fractured Wallin's nose – who gave Fury all he could handle in 2019 – to stay on the Saudi card.

The deal was contingent on Joshua and Wilder winning, so organizers turned to Ngannou after Wilder lost.

What does this fight mean for Joshua?

Joshua was all but written off after back-to-back losses to Usyk in 2021 and 2022. There's no shame in losing to a fighter like Usyk, but boxing is a cruel business, and it's not just these two defeats.

Truly, Joshua hasn't looked the same since his shocking 2019 loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. Before this fight, Joshua was a search and destroy fighter with tremendous power. After winning the Olympic gold medal in 2012, he quickly won the heavyweight title and produced quality defenses.

Namely, he recovered from a knockout knockout of Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko in ESPN's 2017 Fight of the Year and easily outpointed Parker the following year.

Joshua also reclaimed his titles against Ruiz in December 2019, but he did so with a cautious, safety-oriented boxing approach that left fans wanting more. And in his next few fights, Joshua wasn't much more aggressive, which was probably the remainder of his TKO loss to Ruiz.

“He knows he's vulnerable and he knows he can get hurt and fall and stop and lose fights,” Wallin told ESPN before their fight. “…What made him good was that he was aggressive, a good puncher and looked for a type of stoppage. But he changed a lot and he lost some of what made him good.”

But against Wallin, Joshua was once again aggressive. He called for the stop and showed his power. He beat Wallin with his jab, breaking his nose and forcing him to retreat to his stool after the fifth round.

It's no coincidence that the performance came in Joshua's third fight in 2023. Activity is vital in boxing. Victory also came in his first fight, with Davison leading from his corner.

Now, a confident and rejuvenated Joshua has the opportunity to prove he is truly back with a dominant performance against Ngannou that should prepare him for a future fight with Fury.

Joshua is ESPN's No. 3 heavyweight behind Fury and Usyk.