Anthony Joshua‘s next opponent has been confirmed as former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, with the fight set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
On Friday night, promotional teams Matchroom and Queensberry revealed the anticipated clash between former unified world heavyweight champion Joshua and Ngannou, a past UFC titleholder.
A press conference is slated for January 15 to disclose further details, and there are reports indicating that Joshua is set to confront Ngannou on Friday, March 8, in Riyadh.
In his pursuit to reclaim the summit of the heavyweight division, Joshua secured a commanding five-round victory over Otto Wallin on December 23. However, hopes of a matchup with Deontay Wilder dwindled after the American suffered a defeat to Joseph Parker on the same card.
The former UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou, made an impactful entry into professional boxing last October by knocking down Tyson Fury in his debut bout.
Despite the knockdown, Fury ultimately secured a split-decision victory. Ngannou now finds himself ranked among the top 10 heavyweight contenders by the WBC.
After his impressive win against Wallin, Joshua declared: “I’m down to fight anyone. Whenever and whoever.”
Among the contenders for Joshua’s next bout, the IBF mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang were also under consideration.
Saudi Arabia is poised to host another significant heavyweight showdown shortly after Fury’s upcoming undisputed world title fight against Oleksandr Usyk on February 17.
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