ANTHONY JOSHUA left fans wincing as he shared a video of himself undergoing bizarre ‘hot cupping’ treatment.

The British boxing ace is on the hunt for his next opponent after defeating UFC king Francis Ngannou in style.

Anthony Joshua is preparing for his next fight with ‘hot cupping’Credit: Instagram

The ancient recovery method is meant to improve blood flow and fight inflammationCredit: Instagram

Joshua is leaving nothing to chance as he targets five successive winsCredit: Instagram

AJ has now won four successive fights since his back-to-back title defeats against Oleksandr Usyk.

But he’s refusing to slack off in his preparations for five in a row.

Joshua posted a video on social media showing him covered in hot cups.

The fan favourite was plastered from head to toe in the bizarre suction holders.

But he appeared to be taking it all in his stride, barely batting an eyelid as the camera revealed the extent of the treatment.

Hot cupping dates back to ancient times, with records showing it being used in Egypt back in 1550BC.

It is claimed to relieve pain and inflammation by increasing blood flow while massaging deep tissue.

After being heated, the cups are placed on the body and create a vacuum as they cool.

This causes skins to redden and rise as blood vessels expand, but also leaves painful-looking marks which risk leading to tissue damage and infection if not treated properly.

Fans certainly seemed to appreciate Joshua’s efforts. Watch the video below:

One said: “Looks like recovery is going well. That looks painful.”

Another declared: “This should be painful.”

One noted: “Power and strength.”

Another added: “Heal up bro, we feast later.”

Meanwhile, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn claims he is hoping to set up a fight with fellow Brit Daniel Dubois in September at Wembley Stadium.

He said: “We’re focused on fighting Dubois for the world title at Wembley but it is not all agreed.

“There’s still work to be done by 100 per cent myself, His Excellency, George Warren, Spencer Brown, we’re all working together to make it happen.”