ANTHONY JOSHUA faces Francis Ngannou in truly make-or-break fight for the British superstar.
The fight will be a ten-round boxing match, with the former two-time heavyweight champion and the ex-UFC star colliding in what’s another big coup for Saudi dealmaker Turki Alalshikh.
AJ overcame tricky southpaw Otto Wallin on another blockbuster bill in the Middle East at the end of last year.
Before last month’s epic card, Joshua was expected to fight long-term rival Deontay Wilder after his meeting with the Swede.
But any hopes of a deal went up in smoke after the Bronze Bomber was on the end of a shock defeat to Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou meanwhile raised many eyebrows in the world of boxing following his stunning debut against Tyson Fury in October 2023.
READ MORE IN BOXING
Many thought the UFC legend got the better of the Gypsy King on the night, dropping him in the third round before losing a split decision in controversial fashion.
Fury now faces Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed title on May 18.
And the winner between Joshua and Ngannou are then primed to challenge for the unified belts.
So it’s all to play for in the Riyadh rumble with careers and title shots on the line.
Most read in Boxing
When is Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou?
- Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou will take place on Friday, March 8.
- The big crossover clash will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The ring-walks are expected to get going from around 11pm GMT.
Who are their trainers?
For the second fight in a row, Joshua will be cornered by Ben Davison, who he linked up with before his latest victory against Otto Wallin.
Davison replaced Derrick James, who was occupied Stateside, and the former coach to Fury retains his place in AJ’s team.
For Ngannou, his corner is led by ex-kickboxer Dewey Cooper with assistant John M’Bumba and MMA head trainer Eric Nicksick making up the team.
What happened in Joshua’s last fight?
AJ comes into the bout having dominated Wallin just four months ago in an impressive performance.
Many believed he was back to his best as he ruthlessly broke the Swede down, fracturing Wallin’s nose in the process.
It was Joshua’s second stoppage on the spin and third victory in a row.
What happened in Ngannou’s last fight?
The Cameroonian put his MMA career on hold for a boxing switch and stunned several on his debut against Fury.
He dropped the Gypsy King and was deemed unfortunate to walk away with a split-decision loss.
Still, the showing convinced AJ to the negotation table and set up another lucrative crossover clash for Ngannou.
What TV channel is Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou on and can it be live streamed?
- Joshua vs Ngannou will be shown live on DAZN PPV and Sky Sports Box Office.
- You can live stream all the action from the DAZN and Sky Sports Box Office websites as well as their apps, both of which are available for download onto your mobile or tablet device.
- The DAZN UK PPV price will be £19.99, which includes one month’s DAZN subscription.
- For existing DAZN subscribers, the PPV price will be £18.99.
- The Sky Sports Box Office price for the fight has been set at £19.95 for Sky customers in the UK.
Why is Joshua vs Ngannou on a Friday?
The fight goes down on a Friday night, not the usual Saturday.
This is because of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix taking place that weekend at 5pm GMT on Saturday, March 9 over in Jeddah.
SunSport’s prediction
Boxing will be on it’s knees if 2012 Olympic golden boy and 2x world champion Anthony Joshua cannot handle a cage fighter, writes Sun Boxing correspondent Wally Downes Jr.
Yes Francis Ngannou always wanted to emulate Mike Tyson, yes his best days with the UFC were spent on his feet trading punches instead of kicks and submissions and yes the 37-year-old Cameroonian Adonis did floor Tyson Fury in October.
But our AJ now knows not to take the powerhouse lightly and to respect his power and resilience in a way Morecambe’s WBC Gypsy King did not.
AJ should hit Ngannou harder than he’s ever been struck before and he should finish him inside the opening five rounds.
Joshua vs Ngannou full card
Among the fights taking place on the Joshua-Ngannou undercard is Zhilei Zhang’s huge fight with Joseph Parker.
Queensberry fighter Nick Ball will also challenge Mexican Rey Vargas for the world featherweight title.
- MAIN EVENT: Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou
- Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker
- Nick Ball vs Rey Vargas – (WBC featherweight title)
- Israil Madrimov vs Magomed Kurbanov – (WBA super-welterweight title)
- Mark Chamberlain vs Gavin Gwynne (European lightweight championship)
- Andrii Novytskyi vs Juan Torres
- Justis Huni vs Kevin Lerena
- Ziyad Almaayouf vs Christian Lopes Flores
- Roman Fury vs Martin Svarc
- Jack McGann vs Louis Greene
What has been said?
Joshua has said: “He brings two arms, a body, but his mind is different to everyone else. In terms of his frame and make-up, I’ve seen people like him many times before.
“My main focus is Ngannou and getting through an intense training camp.
“I have got to take his mind and his spirit, it will be explosive. We can both trade and it will be a good fight.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Ngannou said: “Of course I think I can beat him. I called for the fight. I am here to beat him and that’s why I came over here.
“I’ve been calling for these kind of fights for four years. I’m not here to show up, I am here to take over. It might sound crazy. It might sound irrational. But that’s what I am committed to and that is what I want.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
