Francis Ngannou will be back in the boxing ring this March as the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight king locks horns with Anthony Joshua in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The heavyweight superfight was first reported by MMA journalist, Ariel Helwani, before additional news outlets confirmed the booking. Ngannou vs. Joshua is expected to take place on Mar. 9 and it will be contested across 10 rounds of boxing.
Breaking:
Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua is a done deal, per @Turki_alalshikh.
Ten-round boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
More: pic.twitter.com/e6Hsc6Fh70
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 5, 2024
Ngannou, who parted ways with UFC in early 2023 in order to test free agency, ended up signing a lucrative contract with Professional Fighters League (PFL). While the former UFC heavyweight champion has yet to actually compete inside of the PFL cage Ngannou’s contract allowed him to step inside the boxing ring opposite Tyson Fury this past October (highlights HERE).
Surprisingly, Ngannou did more than good in that fight. He went toe-to-toe with Fury, who is regarded as the best heavyweight boxer in the world today, and even scored a crucial knockdown early into the fight. “Predator” certainly shocked the combat sports world with his performance, but Fury ultimately walked away with the split-decision win.
Some were hoping to see Fury and Ngannou rematch early this year, but plans have changed. Ngannou will now fight another top heavyweight in the sport of boxing. Despite Joshua’s previous losses to Oleksandr Usyk, he’s still one of the biggest stars in the sport today. He’s coming off three-straight wins and should be a bigger physical challenge for Ngannou than Fury was.
Ngannou and Joshua will come face-to-face for the first time later this month as the fighters join for an exclusive press conference in London, England.
Stick with Mania for more Ngannou vs. Joshua fight news.