Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou: What you need about the fight

Anthony Joshua, the former world heavyweight champion who lost his belts to Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021, will face Francis Ngannou in a 10-round heavyweight clash called ‘Knockout Chaos’.

Joshua, a former unified WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight champion, has won his last three fights against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, and Otto Wallin. He aims to extend it to four straight wins when he faces Ngannou in his second boxing game.

Ngannou held the title of UFC heavyweight champion before he exited the promotion to pursue his boxing career, amassing a record of 17 wins and three losses in MMA.

Here’s what to know ahead of the fight

Date
The fight is scheduled for Friday, March 8, 2024, and the show starts at 4 p.m. GMT.

Venue
The clash will take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight is scheduled for a Friday, instead of the usual Saturday night to avoid conflicting with the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix on March 9.

Where to watch
The bout will be live on different pay-per-view channels.

Boxing records
Joshua: Total fights: 3; Record: 27-3 (24 KOs)

Ngannou: Total fights: 1; Record: 0-1

Is there a title on the line?
There is no title on the line when Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou face off. Joshua lost multiple belts to Usyk and was unable to regain them in their rematch. Similarly, Ngannou was unsuccessful in his attempt to claim Fury’s WBC crown, suffering a defeat against the Briton.

What they are saying

Joshua: “This Friday it’s going to go down, so I can’t wait for the opportunity to show my skills and combat this person who thinks he can knock me out. I believe I can knock him out. Definitely. I would love to knock him out and make a statement.

“I’m just ready for a good fight – someone who’s got two arms and I know where the jabs come from, the hooks, the body shots, the right hand, the right hook – so I can be ready for the shots coming my way.

“He has to be ready for the shots which are coming his way because I’m a man who will be standing in front of him, bringing him a lot of hell and problems as well.”

Ngannou: “I believe if I land on anyone, I will knock them out. The question is how to land? That’s the hardest thing.

“Almost everyone in this division can knock anyone out, but how do you land or carry that power and energy to 10 rounds and still hit someone hard or knock somebody out after all the fatigue? It’s a chess game.

“I didn’t have any experience in boxing but don’t make any mistake. I’ve had a lot of experience in life and a lot of experience fighting. I’ve built my fighting spirit as high as anyone else. I know I can fight.”