Francis Ngannou finally has his next boxing match booked. According to Saudi’s Chairman of the General Authority for Entertainment, Turki Alalshikh (via MMA Junkie), the fight will be held on March 9 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou made his first boxing fight against Tyson Fury last October. Despite losing via split decision, “The Predator” gained an impressive reputation in boxing after giving the opponent a challenging bout. After the fight, the team started considering names for his next boxing fight, with Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua expressing interest in fighting the MMA star.
The British boxer promised to knock out Ngannou in case they met in the ring, but the PFL talent showed more interest in Wilder, whom Ngannou’s team reportedly contacted before the Fury fight. However, after Wilder lost to Joseph Parker in Riyadh recently, Ngannou’s team reconsidered the fighter’s boxing plans. Fortunately for Ngannou, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said he was one of the top opponent choices for Joshua.
Just days after that revelation, the fight between Ngannou and Joshua is now set. MMA journalist Ariel Helwani confirmed the booking of the 10-round boxing match in Saudi Arabia, while Alalshikh corroborated the report.
The bout follows Joshua’s victory over Otto Wallin through a Round 5 stoppage, giving him his three-fight winning streak on his record. The boxer could be a dangerous foe for Ngannou, with the Briton boasting 24 KO wins from the 27 victories he has in his records. Yet, Ngannou is confident in taking on any challenges in the boxing ring. Despite acknowledging that he could lose in a sport that is practically not his realm, the Cameroonian-French believes he can still give boxers a hard time in their own sport.
