Eddie Hearn, the promoter for former heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has revealed that Joshua is slated to face former UFC star Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia. Originally, Joshua was set to take on Deontay Wilder, but Wilder’s unexpected loss to Joseph Parker altered the course of their plans. 

Hearn took to social media, stating, “It’s a done deal,” and announced the clash between Joshua and Ngannou on a significant night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While a specific date is yet to be officially confirmed, March 9 has been mentioned as a possibility. Saudi organisers had initially envisioned a Joshua-Wilder matchup for this year, but Wilder’s loss to Parker on the same card as Joshua’s win over Otto Wallin shifted the narrative.

The upcoming bout is quite spectacular as Ngannou made his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury in October, narrowly losing in a contentious split decision. Ngannou’s performance in the heavyweight boxing division has garnered attention, earning him a top-10 ranking by the WBC. 

With the Joshua-Ngannou showdown, the heavyweight boxing scene sees a fresh matchup, and this one is sure to excite the fans. Eddie Hearn indicated that more details about the fight would be disclosed during a press conference scheduled for January 15 in London, which is a week away.

Meanwhile, the focus of boxing fans around the world is also on the highly anticipated clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, set for February 17 in Saudi Arabia. The bout between Fury, the WBC champion, and Usyk, holding the WBA, WBO, and IBF belts, will determine the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999.

So now, we can guess we might have both fights early this year. With both Joshua vs. Ngannou and Fury vs. Usyk on the horizon, the heavyweight division promises an exciting start to the 2024 boxing calendar. Hopefully, as the weeks go by, we get an exact date and location for Joshua vs. Ngannou. 

Leon Osamor