Anthony Joshua to face Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia in March as fight confirmed

It has been announced that Anthony Joshua will engage in a battle with Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.

The previous fighter who held titles in all the heavyweight divisions, Joshua, is anticipated to have a match against Ngannou, who was once an Ultimate Fighting Championship champion. This fight was revealed by the two promotional teams, Matchroom and Queensberry, on Friday evening.

On January 15, there will be a press conference that will provide further information. According to sources, it seems likely that Joshua and Ngannou will compete in Riyadh on March 8.

There is a possibility that Deontay Wilder may appear on the same boxing event, despite his defeat by Joseph Parker in December. This outcome dashed the hopes of a match between Wilder and Joshua on that particular date.

The team of Zhilei Zhang has verified that discussions are underway regarding a potential boxing match with Wilder.

According to Zhang's co-manager who spoke with Sky Sports, they are currently examining the potential of the fight.

It would be great if that could occur.

Joshua secured his third consecutive win of the year in December by delivering a heartless knockout to Otto Wallin in the fifth round.

After his amazing victory over Wallin, Joshua said: "I am willing to fight anyone at any time. It does not matter who it is."

Filip Hrgovic and Zhang were contenders for Joshua's upcoming match, along with being considered as possible opponents for him due to their status as the IBF mandatory challenger.

In October of last year, there was a striking moment when Ngannou knocked down Tyson Fury in their initial boxing match as professionals. Yet, Fury managed to come out with a points win in Riyadh. This outcome was subject to heated discussion.

After his impressive loss, Ngannou was ranked among the top 10 title contenders by the WBC.

A significant heavyweight bout will be held in Saudi Arabia shortly following Fury’s showdown against Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed world title on February 17.

'Ngannou Is A Tough Opponent For AJ'

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Upon learning about the battle that's set to happen on Back Pages Tonight, which was reported on Sky Sports News, Charlie Wyett from The Sun stated that he believes the opponent chosen is fitting.

It was clear that he wished for his opponent to be Deontay Wilder, however, due to the outcome of his previous fight against Parker, they have decided to choose another fighter for him. The selection process will not be immediate but rather require some time.

The upcoming press conference in a few days' time is a great opportunity for Joshua to showcase his skills in the ring. He is ready to embark on what promises to be a challenging battle ahead.

I believe that we need to start accepting that fights will be taking place in Saudi Arabia for many years to come.

"It shouldn't come as a shock that they have arranged a combat event during that timeframe."