Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou on Friday night in Riyadh will write the latest chapter in what has the potential to be a golden age for heavyweight boxing.
Joshua, the two-time former world heavyweight king, will match former UFC star Ngannou in an eagerly-awaited prizefight in Saudi Arabi as ‘Riyadh Season’ heads towards its climax.
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We have already had Tyson Fury vs Ngannou and that huge ‘Day of Reckoning’ card in recent months, and on May 18 we get the Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk unification showdown for all of the heavyweight marbles.
Before that though, Joshua vs Ngannou will be next up and centre stage in what should be yet another fascinating showdown in boxing’s marquee weight class.
When is Joshua vs Ngannou?
Joshua vs Ngannou will take place on Friday March 8, 2024. Ring walks for the main event are likely to take place at around 2300 UK time. That is midnight CET or 1800 Eastern Standard Time in the United States. If you’re on the West Coast, you should be ready for ring action from 1500 PST.
How to watch live: TV channel and live stream details
At last the TV details are (mostly) confirmed for Joshua vs Ngannou – and here is what we know now.
DAZN PPV will stream the bout globally – including the UK and US, while Sky Sports Box Office will have rights to air the bout in the UK.
The cost and price will be £19.99 on DAZN in the UK or £19.95 on Sky, or $39.99 in the US.
How many rounds is Joshua vs Ngannou?
This could be crucial in the final reckoning. Just as Fury vs Ngannou was last October, this bout will only be fought over 10 x 3-minute rounds. This is NOT a 12-rounder.
Joshua vs Ngannou odds
Joshua is a firm favourite but the odds are TIGHTENING as we get closer to fight night. Ngannou had opened up around the 4/1 underdog mark, but he’s now 3/1 or shorter in many places.
Joshua vs Ngannou weights
The weigh-in for the big fight took place on Thursday March 7 in Riyadh.
Joshua tipped the scales at 252lbs, a pound heavier than he had been for his beatdown of Otto Wallin in December. Ngannou meanwhile was almost two stones heavier at 272lbs – a couple of pounds more than he had been against Fury last October.
What is at stake?
This fight should be a huge money spinner for both men. Joshua is right back at the heavyweight top table after that demolition job on Wallin. Ngannou’s heavyweight star may never be brighter than it is right now after his terrific showing vs Fury back in October.
Joshua knows that a defeat here by a man who is still really a novice in professional boxing terms would be a disaster, while an impressive win would keep him right in position for a shot at the Fury vs Usyk winner.
Boxing Schedule: Upcoming heavyweight fights
Ngannou was already ranked in the top 10 by the WBC after the Fury fight, so a win here would potentially see him rocket further up the rankings and in line for a world title shot at some stage soon. Astonishing stuff.
Anthony Joshua record
Anthony Joshua (full name Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua) was born in Watford, England on October 15, 1989. He is now 34 years old and stands 1.98m tall (6ft 6ins). He has a reach of 82ins.
Joshua has fought 30 times as a professional, with a 27-3 record. 27 wins and 3 losses, with 24 of the wins coming inside distance.
AJ, a former Olympic champion in the amateurs, has an impressive resume – which includes some of the biggest names in the heavyweight division in recent years.
Joshua, among others, has posted victories over Dillian Whyte, Charles Martin, Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Carlos Takam, Alexander Povetkin, Andy Ruiz, Kubrat Pulev, Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin.
Joshua’s defeats have all come in world title fights – that shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 and then those back-to-back decisions at the hands of Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
He fought three times in 2023 as he rebounded from those back-to-back Usyk losses. A points victory over Jermaine Franklin was followed by a knockout of late stand-in Helenius. Then came the impressive showing which resulted in a five-round win over Wallin in December.
Francis Ngannou record
Francis Ngannou was born in Batié, Cameroon on September 5, 1986 and he is now 37 years old. He stands 1.93m tall (6ft 4ins) and has a reach of 83ins.
From a boxing perspective, not a great deal to say here. Francis is 0-1 after one pro fight, but what a performance it was.
The former UFC heavyweight king had Fury on the deck in Round 3 and pushed ‘The Gypsy King’ all the way before finally dropping a hotly-contested decision. It was an incredible performance given Ngannou had never boxed professional before. Obviously we don’t know how much of that was thanks to any lack of focus from Fury.
Before that crossover fight Ngannou had been a superstar in MMA, becoming UFC heavyweight champion along the way and posting a 17-3 record in the process.
Joshua vs Ngannou undercard
This is pretty spectacular already from a heavyweight perspective – and the undercard makes it even more INCREDIBLE.
The co-main feature is Joseph Parker vs Zhilei Zhang – Parker coming off that upset win over Deontay Wilder and Zhang coming off back-to-back wins over Joe Joyce.
