Anthony Joshua is set to face UFC legend Francis Ngannou in his upcoming bout, confirmed by promoter Eddie Hearn on Friday night.
Ngannou made waves in his professional boxing debut by challenging Tyson Fury last October, despite ultimately losing to the WBC heavyweight champion on points.
The British heavyweight, Joshua, who secured three victories in 2023 as part of his career rebuilding process after losing his world titles to Oleksandr Usyk, will now take on Ngannou.
The ten-round match is scheduled to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a press conference scheduled for January 15 in London.
Eddie Hearn announced the showdown with a post on X, formerly 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!" Hearn posted on X.
The fight is expected to take place on March 9, originally the date set for Joshua's match against Deontay Wilder.
Joshua and Wilder had a deal in place for a face-off on the Day of Reckoning card in Saudi Arabia on December 23. However, Joshua secured an impressive victory over Otto Wallin, while Wilder suffered a comprehensive points defeat against Parker.
Instead of facing Wilder, Joshua will now meet Ngannou in what promises to be an intriguing match-up.
Ngannou impressed in his boxing debut against Fury, knocking him down in the third round and challenging him throughout the ten rounds. While one judge scored the fight in Ngannou's favour (95-94), Fury secured a split decision win with debatable scorecards of 96-93 and 95-94.
Despite Ngannou's background in MMA, Joshua is expected to emerge victorious. His ultimate goal is to become a three-time heavyweight champion, having lost his world title to Usyk in September 2021 and failing to reclaim it in their subsequent meeting.
