Confirmed: Anthony Joshua set to face off against Francis Ngannou in highly anticipated showdown

Anthony Joshua, the former unified world heavyweight champion, is set to go head-to-head with Francis Ngannou, a former UFC champion, in Saudi Arabia later this year.

The fight has been confirmed by promotional teams Matchroom and Queensberry, with a press conference scheduled for January 15 to provide more details.

While the exact date of the match is yet to be announced, reports suggest that Joshua will face Ngannou on Friday, March 8 in Riyadh. Initially, Joshua was supposed to fight Deontay Wilder, but Wilder’s loss to Joseph Parker in December dashed those hopes.

Joshua, coming off a dominant victory over Otto Wallin, expressed his willingness to fight anyone, anytime. Ngannou, on the other hand, made an impressive debut in professional boxing by knocking down Tyson Fury, although Fury ultimately secured a controversial points victory in Riyadh. Following his commendable defeat, Ngannou was ranked in the top 10 of title contenders by the WBC.