On March 8, Anthony Joshua will take on former mixed martial arts (MMA) competitor Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
In order to continue his comeback to form, former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua hopes to build on his brilliant fifth-round stoppage of Otto Wallin last month.
Ngannou, who was born in Cameroon, didn’t start boxing professionally until October, when he defeated WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and lost by a narrow margin.
The fighters will face off in a press conference later on Monday in London.
The Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, hosted both Joshua’s victory over Wallin and Ngannou’s unexpected performance against Fury. The oil-rich Gulf Kingdom is quickly emerging as the preferred location for promoters looking to cash in on large payouts for high-profile fights.
Fury will also face Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh on February 17 in a battle that would deliver the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has poured billions of dollars on athletic events, such as the 2034 World Cup, the LIV Golf Circuit, a Formula One Grand Prix, and the Club World Cup of football.
However, the largest oil exporter in the world has come under fire from some who accuse it of “sportswashing,” or using athletics to boost its standing abroad following a wave of criticism over its record on environmental and human rights.