We’ll see if Anthony Joshua can do well.
The former two-time heavyweight champion agreed to face MMA star Francis Ngannou, who nearly shocked the world in a split decision loss to current champion Tyson Fury on October 28 in the Cameroonian’s boxing debut.
The 10-round fight will take place on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the same venue as the Fury-Ngannou event.
MMA Junkie confirmed the deal and date following an announcement from Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Alalshikh via Ariel Helwani.
A press conference to promote the fight is expected later this month in London.
Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) bounced back from back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and last year (setbacks that cost him his titles and status) by outpointing Jermain Franklin and stopping Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin.
The 34-year-old from Watford, England, looked particularly good against Wallin, who was no longer able to fight after five one-sided rounds on December 23 in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua was expected to fight former champion Deontay Wilder in what would have been a massive showdown on March 8, but those plans were ruined when Joseph Parker Jr. outpointed Wilder on the Joshua-Wallin card.
Fury and Usyk appear to be out of the picture for Joshua at the moment. The two will meet on February 17 in Riyadh to compete for the undisputed championship and agreed to a two-day rematch clause.
Ngannou left the UFC in early 2023 and announced his transition to the world of boxing. Although many doubted that a massive “money fight” was on the table, Ngannou proved the skeptics wrong when he landed a professional fight against Fury.
Although Ngannou. 37 years old, he lost the fight, his competitive effort and Fury’s knockdown garnered praise and respect across multiple combat sports communities. Many viewers even went so far as to say that they thought Ngannou won the fight.
