Anthony Joshua wants to flip the combat sports crossover trend on its head. The former boxing heavyweight champion, who knocked out Francis Ngannou inside the boxing ring, says he is now seriously weighing a move into MMA to see how a boxer fares on the other side.
“Believe me, I was thinking, why don’t I step over into one of their territories because they keep on coming to our territory?” Joshua said during an appearance on the Ring Magazine Mr Versace podcast.
The 36-year-old framed the idea as a fair reversal, pointing out that fighters from other disciplines have repeatedly tested themselves in boxing while boxers rarely return the favor.
“Obviously, this is big business. It’s big boxing, it’s heavyweight boxing. You are talking about the best in their chosen field. MMA, Kickboxing. These aren’t amateurs, these are actually experienced fighters. It would be good if one of us went into that side and see how we get on over there,” Joshua continued.
Joshua Plans To Fight Until At Least 40
The MMA talk carries weight because Joshua has no plans to walk away soon. He had previously teased retirement following his loss to Daniel Dubois, and a future away from the sport seemed likely after he survived a fatal car crash this past January.
Instead, Joshua revealed he intends to keep competing until he is at least 40, leaving a multi-year window for a crossover bout.
He also made clear that any MMA venture would need to be a marquee attraction. “100 percent (I’d want a big name opponent). So that means it’s big business then. MMA, kickboxing, or boxing. It can be done, I believe it should be done. I think that will be the next thing we want to see,” he said.
A Reversal Of The Ngannou Crossover
Joshua has already lived the crossover dynamic from the boxing side, welcoming former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou into the ring and stopping him in the second round.
He acknowledged that a boxer entering MMA would not draw the same spectacle as an MMA fighter coming to boxing. “So even if let’s say, Anthony Joshua, speaking in third person, was to crossover into MMA, it wouldn’t be as big as them coming over to boxing. Boxing is just the pinnacle of combat sports,” he said.
Boxing’s track record in MMA is thin. Former boxing champion James Toney remains the only major name to make the leap, losing to Randy Couture at UFC 118 in 2010.
For now, Joshua’s focus stays on the squared circle. He is set to face Albanian contender Kristian Prenga on July 25, with a heavyweight clash against Tyson Fury lined up for the fourth quarter of the year.
