Boxing: the Joshua-Ngannou clash scheduled for March 8 in Saudi Arabia

Anthony Joshua contre Francis Ngannou, un combat très attendu MAXPPP – Zac Goodwin

Le combat a été officialisé ce lundi. Le Camerounais Francis Ngannou, ancienne star du MMA, a tout pour créer la surprise.   

British heavyweight Anthony Joshua will cross gloves with former martial arts star (MMA) Francis Ngannou on March 8 in a clash organized in Saudi Arabia, the new stronghold of world boxing.

The fight, made official during the joint press conference of the two pugilists on Monday in London, will take place in ten rounds.

Ngannou, (very) promising beginnings

Joshua, ex-WBA, IBF and WBO champion, is coming off an impressive victory against the Swede Otto Wallin who was forced to retire in the fifth round last month in Riyadh.

The Cameroonian, who made his big debut in English boxing last October, created a surprise by pushing the Briton Tyson Fury, holder of the prestigious WBC belt, to his limits. Ngannou knocked him out in the third round, before losing the fight by split decision even though most observers considered him the winner.

Both fights took place in Riyadh, the capital of the Gulf oil monarchy, which has become the promoters' favorite destination for lucrative fights between stars.

Fury-Usyk, a fight for the reunification of the heavyweight titles

A few weeks before this clash, of which the Briton seems logically the favorite, attention will be focused on the fight to reunify the heavyweight titles which will pit Tyson Fury against Oleksandr Usyk.

The Ukrainian dethroned Joshua in September 2021 at Wembley and confirmed his victory eleven months later in Jeddah. The clash, on February 17 in Riyadh, between the Briton and the Ukrainian is eagerly awaited by boxing fans to the extent that it will deliver for the first time since 1999 an undisputed champion of the premier category.< /p>

Saudi Arabia is still under fire for its policy of "sportwashing", using sport for several years as diplomatic leverage with Formula 1, Moto GP, the LIV golf circuit or football to restore its reputation in the face of criticism of its human rights record.