Former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou is set for his sophomore outing in the squared circle later this year, taking on former world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua over the course of ten rounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 9.
As per an initial report from Ariel Helwani, per Royal Court Saudi advisor, Turki Al-Sheikh, former UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou will return to the Middle East later this year for a professional boxing match against former world champion, Joshua – with an official press conference between the two slated for later in January.
Francis Ngannou set for Middle East clash with Anthony Joshua
“Breaking: Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua is a done deal, per @Turki_alalshikh. Ten-round boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”
Sidelined since he made his professional boxing debut back in October in Riyadh, PFL (Professional Fighters League) signed heavyweight, Ngannou made his first venture to the squared circle in a ten round fight with WBC heavyweight kingpin, Tyson Fury, dropping a controversial split decision loss.
Heralded for his performance in his first-ever professional boxing outing, Cameroonian knockout ace, Ngannou landed a stunning knockdown on the Morecambe native, before dropping a dubious decision loss in Saudi Arabia.
As for Joshua, the former two-time heavyweight world champion is in the midst of an impressive three-fight winning run, compiled over the course of last year, most recently stopping Otto Wallin with a corner’s stoppage TKO win in Riyadh, as part of a ‘Day of Reckoning’ billed card for the country.
Yet to make his promotional bow with the PFL, Ngannou’s most recent outing in mixed martial arts came in the form of a unanimous decision win over then-interim heavyweight champion, defending and unifying his title at UFC 270 back in January 2022 in Anaheim, California. The outing came as Ngannou’s last on his Octagon contract, which expired at the beginning of last year to boot.
Who wins in a March 2024 boxing showdown: Francis Ngannou or Anthony Joshua?