British boxing star Anthony Joshua is set to take on mixed martial arts fighter Francis Ngannou in a heavyweight boxing contest scheduled for March 8th in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua and Ngannou will come face to face at a news conference later today in London to officially announce the highly anticipated matchup.
The 37-year-old Ngannou, a former UFC champion, made his professional boxing debut in Riyadh last October, where he faced WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Despite knocking down Fury, Ngannou lost a close decision in the bout.
Meanwhile, Fury is gearing up to fight Oleksandr Usyk on February 17th for the opportunity to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999, holding the WBA, WBO, and IBF belts.
Initially, Saudi organisers aimed to host a bout between Joshua and Deontay Wilder on March 9th. However, Wilder’s defeat to Joseph Parker in December led to a change in plans. Joshua, who defeated Otto Wallin on the same card, was determined to find a fight for the same weekend as the planned Wilder showdown.
To avoid a clash with the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, scheduled for March 9th in Jeddah, Joshua versus Ngannou will take place on March 8th, a Friday.