Explainers

TYSON FURY will be ringside to watch Anthony Joshua fight Francis Ngannou knowing their paths could be destined to meet. AJ returns against MMA star Ngannou TOMORROW in Saudi Arabia with Fury making the trip to Riyadh to watch it. Tyson Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk in his next boutCredit: GettyAnthony Joshua can earn a fight with Fury by beating Francis NgannouCredit: AFPThe Gypsy King is in camp for his rearranged May 18 undisputed bout with Oleksandr Usyk having pulled out of the February 17 date due to a cut. And the winner of the unified title fight will then be lined up to face either Joshua or Ngannou. So here, SunSport looks at when the British boxing fans could finally get fight that has been teased for so many years. When would Fury and Joshua fight? Despite the winner between Joshua, 34, and Ngannou, 37, being promised a shot at the undisputed crown, it is not that simple. READ MORE IN BOXINGThat is because Fury, 35, and Usyk, 37, have agreed to a two-fight deal, meaning they will box twice this year. So it rules out AJ potentially challenging Fury until 2025 at the earliest. What would be on the line? If Fury prevails from his double header against Usyk, he should do so with all four heavyweight belts. But he also faces being stripped of the IBF version after his first fight as Filip Hrgovic is the mandatory challenger. Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSSo if Fury rematches Usyk and is stripped, Joshua is being lined up to fight Hrgovic for the vacant IBF belt, which he could in theory then defend against the Gypsy King later down the line. What has been said? Tyson Fury arrives in Riyadh to meet with promoter Turki Alalshikh Joshua has refused to comment on any other business except Ngannou – but Fury has been a lot more vocal. He said: “Turki (Alalshikh), I was talking with him last night about it and he said the winner of this fight, will get the winner of you and Usyk.”After me and Usyk fight and have a rematch, then the winner of this will get a shot at that. “So me and Usyk have two fights lined up this year. So the winner of that fight will get to fight the winner of this fight. So there’s a lot on the line.”AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn reckons they could slide in to fight Fury before an Usyk rematch but will settle for Hrgovic and the vacant title if needed. He told Boxing News: “You know that if AJ knocks out Ngannou and Fury beats Usyk His Excellency will have the opportunity to make the biggest fight in the sport, one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport [and] it’ll be very difficult for him not to do it.“We’ve been told that if we beat Ngannou we’ll get the undisputed shot, that was prior to the Fury cut. READ MORE SUN STORIES”If we have to fight Hrgovic in the meantime for the world title no problem as well.”ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUT More

ANTHONY JOSHUA will take on UFC legend Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Friday night.It will be the first time that the British heavyweight has ventured into crossover boxing.ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUTJoshua has been in fine form of late, winning his last four fights, including a recent triumph over tricky southpaw Otto Wallin.AJ now faces former UFC champion Ngannou, who gave the unbeaten Tyson Fury a run for his money back in October.The Cameroonian powerhouse knocked down the Gyspy King in the third round before controversially losing the bout by way of split decision.Ngannou’s stunning boxing debut catapulted the No10 spot on the WBC rankings.READ MORE IN BOXINGAnthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou: Will any belts be on the line?There will be no title on the line when Anthony Joshua takes on Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia, as neither fighter currently holds any belts.The bout will be ten three-minute rounds as opposed to the more conventional 12-round fights.Each fighter can win by way of knockout, decision or TKO.The 10-point ‘must’ system will be used for every round, meaning the winner of a round scores 10 points, while the loser receives nine – unless they are knocked down or badly hurt, in which case they will get eight points, seven or less, depending on the severity of the damage.Most read in BoxingHow to watch Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou
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.  More

ALL eyes will be on Anthony Joshua this Friday as he takes on Francis Ngannou in a huge crossover battle – but fans have Turki Alalshikh to thank for that.AJ has won his last three consecutive fights which includes a dominant five-round dominant display most recently against Swede Otto Wallin.Turki Alalshikh was pictured with four greats – Anthony Joshua, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou (left to right)Credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4Jtx8Vo-mb/?hl=en&img_index=1A whole host of mega stars posed for a group photo with the Saudi Royal adviserCredit: Instagram @turkialalshikANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUTBut the British mogul’s opponent could cause a serious threat as Ngannou dropped Gypsy King Tyson Fury in his first competitive boxing bout.However, ahead of the fight, Saudi Arabian royalty Turki Alalshikh has been pictured in an iconic photo with Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou and Cristiano Ronaldo. And SunSport can give fans a rundown on who he is.Who is Turki Alalshikh?Born on August 4, 1981, Turki Alalshikh is the mastermind behind the huge battles that take place in Saudi Arabia and is a member of the Saudi Royal Court.Read more on AJ vs NgannouHis Excellency graduated from King Fahd Security College in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in security sciences before receiving certificates in criminology, investigation, risk management and general management.Alalshikh then worked in several sectors including the Interior Ministry, the Emirate of Riyadh and the office of the Defence Minister and the Crown Prince.But his big break came in September 2017 when a royal decree was issued to appoint Alalshikh as the new chairman of the General Sports Authority before becoming chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA).In his role as the General Minister for Entertainment, Alalshikh and the GEA have been tasked with developing, promoting and expanding tourism and entertainment in the Kingdom.Most read in BoxingWhy is Turki Alalshikh referred to as His Excellency?’His Excellency’ is an official title that is given to members of the extended Royal Saudi family – similar to ‘Your Highness’ for the British Royal family.Turki Alalshikh is known for being key to bringing boxing to Saudi Arabia.The Saudi Royal adviser helped Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk sign off their postponed heavyweight unification bout which was initially scheduled for Saturday, February 17.And his name began to ring bells within the sporting industry when he posted a stunning photo featuring a host of greats.Among them were several icons such as Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, Conor McGregor, Amir Khan, Lennox Lewis, Ricky Hatton and Evander Holyfield.Oscar De La Hoya and Frank Bruno posed for the picture too.He is also the mastermind behind the World Masters of Snooker, where Ronnie O’Sullivan and Co have been battling for a huge prize pool.The exhibition tournament saw the controversial inclusion of a 23rd ‘golden’ ball, which would be worth 20 points and £400,000 reward for potting it.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.
Ring-walks are expected to get going from around 11pm GMT. More

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 BOXINGMany 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 BoxingAnthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou fight predictions from Sun Sport panelWhen 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. 
Francis Ngannou dropped Tyson Fury in his last boutCredit: GettyWhy 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 predictionBoxing 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 cardAmong 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 STORIESNgannou 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.” More