Heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua is open to one day chancing his luck in the sport of mixed martial arts.

For now however Joshua has plenty in the world of boxing to keep him occupied in the form of heavyweight rivals like Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.

But it’s not something he’s ruled out completely down the line.

He also has a lot of respect for Ireland’s Conor McGregor it turns out.

Speaking to the Irish Independent in a video promoting his a Lucozade sponsorship event, Joshua said of McGregor:

“Look where he’s come from. Grass roots man. He’s done really well. To navigate yourself from ground zero to the top of a combat sport he has some sort of intelligence, determination, hunger. There’s just something in him that refuses to lose. You know that – I’m not taking no for answer. I’m going to keep on pushing the boundaries. He’s done really well for himself and his family.”

He added:

“I respect the guys that do boxing and the guys that are in the UFC but ultimately a fight is a fight. I would fight in the UFC, yeah, I’m not saying how good I would do or how bad I would do. A challenge is a challenge and a fight is a fight.”

Joshua is currently locked in negotiations for a possible heavyweight unification fight with WBC champion Deontay Wilder.