Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou CONFIRMED as Brit will fight Tyson Fury tormentor in March in Saudi Arabia
EDDIE HEARN has confirmed Anthony Joshua’s next fight will be against Francis Ngannou.
After reports emerged on social media late on Friday night, the Matchroom boxing chief took to X to announce that they were true.
ReutersAnthony Joshua is set for a bumper Saudi showdown in March[/caption]
GettyHe will face UFC legend Francis Ngannou, the man who floored Tyson Fury[/caption]
Hearn wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Tonight 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.”
The bout is expected to be a ten-round boxing match between the two-time former heavyweight champion and UFC legend and is another coup for Saudi dealmaker Turki Al-Sheikh.
The news comes after AJ’s £100million two-fight deal with Deontay Wilder went up in smoke last month after the American suffered a shock defeat to former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.
The first of the duo’s back-to-back fights was set to take place in Saudi Arabia on March 9.
But a spring return to action is now on the cards for the Brit, even though a long-overdue showdown with Wilder isn’t.
Hearn hopes Joshua can replicate the schedule he had in 2023, in which he fought three times in the space of ten months, winning all three.
He beat Jermain Franklin by unanimous decision back in March before knocking out Robert Helenius in the seventh round in August.
Joshua then stretched his winning-streak to three by forcing Wallin to retire at the end of the fifth round last month in Saudi.
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Meanwhile the 37-year-old Ngannou put his MMA career on hold last year to fight WBC champ Tyson Fury, 35, in Saudi.
He shockingly dropped the Gypsy King only to be controversially beaten on points but his stock has risen.
And now he looks to have secured another bumper payday against one of boxing’s finest after banking £8m for his last outing in the ring with Fury.
Hearn also recently told iFL TV: “Right now, we have three fights that we’re in discussions for.
“They’re all big and that doesn’t involve Deontay Wilder for March. Our aim, and they’ve expressed this is to fight the winner of Fury-Usyk.
“That’s all we want to do, obviously there’s the Hrgovic fight out there for the world heavyweight title.
“There’s a Francis Ngannou fight out there which would be absolutely colossal.
“There’s other heavyweights as well, there’s a Zhang fight possible as well with Queensberry.”
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