CONOR MCGREGOR heaped praise on “bad man” Anthony Joshua after watching the Brit in action last weekend.
The UFC superstar was ringside for AJ’s victory over Robert Helenius – a short-notice replacement for Dillian Whyte – at the O2 Arena.
Anthony Joshua knocked out Robert Helenius in the seventh round of their O2 tussleGETTY
The brutal KO set up a grudge match with former WBC heavyweight champ Deontay WilderGETTY
UFC superstar Conor McGregor is itching to see AJ fight Wilder and Tyson FuryREX
Joshua, 33, scored a brutal seventh-round knockout of the Nordic Nightmare to extend his win streak to two fights following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
AJ’s first KO in nearly three years set up a 2024 showdown with long-time rival Deontay Wilder, which McGregor is itching to see – as well as a Battle of Britain with Tyson Fury.
The Notorious told iFL TV: “It was a big, heavy shot. My lord, he’s a powerful puncher, AJ.
“He’s a bad, bad man Anthony Joshua.”
He added: “I can’t wait to see him fight Wilder. And I can’t wait to see him fight Fury [also].
“I want to see him fight Wilder – Joshua [versus] Wilder and Joshua [versus]-Fury.
“You need it. I’m happy that the train goes on and I’m excited to see it.”
Joshua and Wilder were on a collision course in 2018 when they held all the heavyweight titles.
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But Wilder ended up fighting Fury – who he had three epic bouts with.
Their feud has simmered in recent years, although Wilder is still very much excited at the prospect of facing AJ.
He told iFL TV in June: “We got a lot of different options right now at this moment in time. Joshua, everybody.
“I think a lot of people is going to get that dream fight everyone wants to see.”
Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua welcomed the bout after icing Helenius, saying: “Roll on.
“There’s no worry to me when it is.
“I’m just happy we can get the fight going and I think people appreciate that.
“I’m doing my best to keep heavyweight boxing on the map.”
Anthony Joshua celebrates his KO win over Robert HeleniusREUTERS