On Friday, January 5th, Ariel Helwani announced that combat sports superstars Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua would be facing off in a sanctioned 10-round boxing match. The news broke as a moderate surprise as many expected Ngannou to rematch Tyson Fury, following their close fight or share a cage with Deontay Wilder in an MMA or a mixed rules fight. However, former Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua has now been named his next opponent.
Francis Ngannou vs Anthony Joshua Date
The date for this massive heavyweight clash has been set for March 8th, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Much like the spectacle of a boxing event that was deemed “Day of Reckoning,” the bout will likely take place at the Kingdom Arena.
At “Day of Reckoning,” Anthony Joshua (27-3 24KO) appeared to be a new, more dangerous fighter, dominating Otto Wallin for five rounds before Wallin’s corner decided to mercifully stop the bout. Joshua moved well, showed speed and power in both hands and not only neutralized Wallin but hurt him early and often.
Although Joshua may have looked like a world-beater back in December, Ngannou is still extremely confident going into this matchup. During his appearance on The MMA Hour, Ngannou gave Joshua props for his performance and “doing what he was supposed to do” before reassuring viewers he has no doubt that he’ll win this fight. “I’m going to throw some bombs for him to deal with,” Ngannou said. “I’ve heard that he doesn’t have a chin, I’m going to find out! If he takes the punch that Fury took… I don’t guarantee that he’s getting up.”
Francis was, of course, referring to the knockdown he scored over Tyson Fury back in October. It was Ngannou’s professional boxing debut when he unprecedentedly challenged the heavyweight champion of the world. The fight was so close that the majority of combat sports fans felt the former UFC Heavyweight Champion had done enough to earn the victory and leave with Fury’s Championship. As is stands, Ngannou is officially 0-1 in boxing and 17-3 in MMA with 11 knockouts. He must now find a way to defeat the former Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua and re-establish himself as one of the best fighters on the planet.
Francis Ngannou vs Anthony Joshua undercard
Details of the undercard for the Francis Ngannou vs Anthony Joshua fight are still under wraps. As soon as they are released, I’ll update this article and provide more information. Some have speculated the undercard to feature a bout between Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, but as of now, this remains unconfirmed.
