Nigerian heavyweight Efe Ajagba has declared that Anthony Joshua “won’t last long” in the ring with him, issuing yet another challenge to his fellow countryman in what appears to be growing animosity from the Delta State-born pugilist towards the former two-time world champion, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
This comes despite Joshua recently backing Ajagba against Martin Bakole, showing support that has seemingly gone unreciprocated.
Ajagba made this bold claim recently, setting his sights on the former world champion who’s trying to make one last run in the sport.
Joshua has had a tough time lately, getting stopped by Dubois in September 2024. That loss came after two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
Speaking to Morson Sport about his chances against Joshua, Ajagba was brutally frank, “Yeah, 100% (I’ll beat him worse than Dubois). He won’t last long.”
The 31-year-old Ajagba, who holds an impressive 20-1-1 record with 14 knockouts, has been on a warpath towards the top of the heavyweight division.
His recent majority draw with Martin Bakole in Riyadh did little to dampen his ambitions, and he seems particularly focused on securing a fight with Joshua.
This growing rivalry stands in stark contrast to the camaraderie once displayed between former Nigerian UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya, who famously refused to fight each other despite competing in neighbouring weight classes.
Usman once declared, “I’d rather two Africans with belts as opposed to one African with two belts,” highlighting the brotherhood that existed between the two MMA stars.
Ajagba, however, appears to have no such reservations about facing Joshua, even questioning the former champion’s Nigerian credentials.
Following his clash with Bakole, Ajagba dismissed Joshua’s Nigerian heritage, saying, “He’s not a real Nigerian. He might have just been there and that’s where his parents came from, but for me, I’m the original Nigerian, to be honest.”
He further added, “Not Joshua, that man has not experienced Nigeria. Almost all of his life has been spent in the UK, that’s why he hasn’t experienced it.”
When informed that Joshua had recently been seen training in Nigeria to enthusiastic local support, Ajagba was dismissive; “He just goes there for social media content. It’s ok, it’s all good – but I’m the original Nigerian.”
The comments highlight a growing tension between the two heavyweights, particularly striking given that Joshua had publicly backed Ajagba earlier this year ahead of his bout with Bakole.
“Two giants of Africa coming together to collide. It’s going to be an interesting fight,” Joshua had said at the time.
“Efe is a good boxer, and obviously, I’m going to support Efe, even though he doesn’t support me. I’m backing him because we are from the same place, and I really want to see him do well.”
Ajagba, ranked No.10 by The Ring magazine, has been in impressive form since his lone professional defeat to Frank Sanchez in October 2021, winning five consecutive fights before the draw with Bakole.
He has previously outlined his championship ambitions, saying, “I have the abilities, I have the skills, I have the power, everything to become a heavyweight champion.”
Joshua, meanwhile, is looking to rebuild after his September defeat to Daniel Dubois. At 35, the Watford-born fighter with Nigerian heritage is running out of time to reclaim his position at the heavyweight division’s summit.
With Ajagba’s latest challenge, a potential all-Nigerian heavyweight clash could be on the horizon – one that appears to be fuelled more by rivalry than the brotherhood often celebrated between African combat sports stars.
