LONDON — Anthony Joshua will fight former champion Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou has only boxed once professionally, when he knocked down Tyson Fury before losing in a split-decision to the reigning WBC heavyweight champion in late October.
The former heavyweight champion, who beat Otto Wallin before Christmas, will return to Riyadh to face Ngannou on a date which is yet to be announced, though on social media Joshua suggested it could be March 8.
It will be a 10-round bout, according to reports, and could take place in March, AP reported.
The 37-year-old Cameroonian was the heavyweight champion in UFC but has only boxed one professionally, coming close to a sensational shock when he floored Tyson Fury in October before eventually losing on a split decision.
He will return to Saudi Arabia to take on Joshua, whose plans to fight Deontay Wilder were scuppered by the American’s loss to Joseph Parker.
Joshua, who has been without a belt since his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in October last year, was targeting a fight against hard-hitting Croatian Filip Hrgovic but will now take on Ngannou.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn posted on X, formerly Twitter according to PA: “We confirm it’s a Done Deal! @anthonyjoshua v @francis_ngannou collide on a huge night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – press conference Jan 15 in London with full details dropping soon!”
Elsewhere, Joseph Parker dominated Deontay Wilder in Riyadh, last December, en route to a major upset in the battle of former heavyweight champions.
New Zealand’s Parker prevailed via scores of 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108.
Wilder entered the bout as a -700 favorite, and did so with a deal in place to meet Anthony Joshua on March 9 in Riyadh, sources said. That agreement was contingent on Wilder and Joshua both winning.
“Coming into this fight, everyone had other plans, but this is God’s plan,” said Parker.
Parker’s strategy was a wise one: avoid Wilder’s dangerous right hand and force him to respect his foe’s power. Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) timed Wilder early and often with looping right hands over the top.
The game plan seemingly made Wilder reluctant to unload his trademark reckless right hand that always finds its mark. But at 38 years old and with only one round of activity since November 2021, the American fighter admitted his “timing was off a little bit.”
“He did a great job avoiding a lot of my punches,” said Wilder,
What the future holds is unclear now that the plans to fight Joshua are spoiled. Wilder’s long heavyweight title reign ended in 2020 when he loss to Tyson Fury in a rematch.
Parker, 31, defeated Andy Ruiz in 2016 to win a vacant heavyweight title but lost the WBO belt to Joshua in 2018.
He was knocked out by Joe Joyce in September 2022 but rebounded with three victories in 2023 before fighting his toughest opponent.
“He did catch me a few times, and it’s a very hard right hand,” Parker said of Wilder.
But it was Parker who landed the bigger shots against one of the division’s all-time punchers.
In Round 8, Parker connected with an overhand right that buckled Wilder and forced him to hold on.
Fury found similar success with looping shots during his three fights with Wilder, and Parker said his training mate helped him prepare with his experience.
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