UFC champion turned-boxer Francis Ngannou, 37, is intensively preparing for his upcoming fight against former British Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua on March 8. He’s dedicating up to nine hours a day to training, including two to three sessions lasting up to three hours each.
Ngannou’s trainer mentioned that as part of his preparation regimen, the boxer is consuming “clean, exotic foods”, as reported by Daily Mail.
The Predator’s head coach, Dewey Cooper, a two-time world boxing champion, praised Ngannou’s discipline and self-motivation ahead of his fight against Joshua after his impressive debut against Tyson Fury.
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“It’s going to be electric,” he said.
Despite having a diverse palate, Ngannou leans towards “exotic” and “clean, gourmet” meals consisting of fish, chicken, greens, and various spices. However, the 6ft4in, 257-pound heavyweight occasionally indulges in a slice of cheesecake as a treat.
The duel between Ngannou and Joshua comes on the back of the UFC champion’s loss to Fury which Coach Cooper described as unjust, believing Ngannou outperformed Fury and deserved the win.
Despite low expectations, Ngannou proved his capability against Fury and is undergoing a similarly intense training regimen for his upcoming bout.
“He’ll have fought two of the three best heavyweight boxers in the world in his first two fights. This has never been done before. That is an enigma,” said Cooper.
“He’s feeling confident. He’s feeling good. He knows he can do the entire 30 minutes of the fight.”
Cooper expressed confidence in his ability to guide Ngannou to victory, citing his extensive experience as a “lifetime martial artist.”
He began training in Muay Thai kickboxing at age nine and later pursued a career in both professional boxing and kickboxing, accumulating over 30 years of fighting experience. This comprises 25 professional boxing bouts, three professional MMA matches, and two world championship victories. In recognition of his achievements, he was inducted into the Masters Hall of Fame in 2008.
“I’m like a Renaissance man when it comes to fighting,” he said. “I was honestly born to do this.”
“This is truly my passion. I don’t think there are many guys who are more energetic and more motivated than I am.”
Cooper is also the president of Team Combat League and leads the first combat pro sports league with male and female fighters. He emphasized that Ngannou’s 12-week training camp post-Fury fight involves rigorous daily sessions lasting up to three hours, six days a week.
“He’s working out a lot right now. We’re trying to get maximum work in right now to really load the body and get him prepared,” Cooper said.
Ngannou’s training regimen incorporates high-intensity sparring sessions to enhance stamina and endurance and various conditioning drills focusing on explosive plyometric exercises.
Plyometrics, characterized by short, intense bursts of activity, aims to build strength, coordination, agility, and flexibility, primarily targeting lower body muscles. Examples of such exercises include side jumps, jump ropes, and forward hops.
