The sporting world is looking forward to the anticipation of Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou’s crossover boxing match, which is set to take place later this month. In a momentous crossover bout in Saudi Arabia, the formidable UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and the current heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua will square off. After defeating Otto Wallin in a breathtaking fight to close off 2023, Joshua will now face a contender who might put his ability to the test.
Joshua vs. Ngannou fight details:
- Date: Friday, March 8
- Start time: 4 p.m. UK / 11 a.m. ET
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 10:50 p.m. UK / 5:50 p.m. ET
- Live stream: DAZN PPV
When is Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou
The fight is on March 8. The card starts at 10 a.m. ET. Joshua and Ngannou should make their way to the ring around 6 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
Region | Date | Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
Saudi Arabia | Friday, March 8 | 6 p.m. AST | 2:00 a.m. AST |
USA and Canada (ET) | Friday, March 8 | 10 a.m. ET | 6:00 p.m. ET |
USA and Canada (PT) | Friday, March 8 | 7 a.m. PT | 3:00 p.m. PT |
UK and Ireland | Friday, March 8 | 3 p.m. GMT | 11:00 p.m. GMT |
Australia | Saturday, March 9 | 2 a.m. AEDT | 10:00 a.m. AEDT |
This momentous match is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 8 at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is expected that millions of people will witness the collision of the two boxing giants. Ngannou, a strong opponent with unparalleled strength and incredible knockout power in the ring, will face Joshua, who is known for his technical prowess and lightning-fast combinations.
Knockout Chaos: Joshua vs Ngannou fight preview
Both Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua have struck gold with their unparalleled performances in the ring. According to the reports, Ngannou and Joshua have agreed to participate in a 10-round heavyweight boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this year.
The news was earlier confirmed by Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, who stated that a press conference was set for January 15 in London and that an agreement had been struck for the fight. The news of Ngannou vs. Joshua was initially reported by journalist Ariel Helwani, who cited Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of the General Authority for Entertainment and a Saudi consultant.
Joshua vs. Ngannou fight card
- Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou; Heavyweight
- Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker; for Zhang’s WBO interim heavyweight title
- Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball; for Vargas’ WBC featherweight title
- Gavin Gwynne vs. Mark Chamberlain; Lightweight
- Gavin Gwynne vs. Mark Chamberlain; Lightweight
- Justis Huni vs. Kevin Lerena; Heavyweight
- Jack McGann vs TBA; Super welterweight
- Roman Fury vs. TBA; Cruiserweight
- Ziyad Almaayouf vs TBA; Super lightweight
- Andrii Novytskyi vs. TBA; Heavyweight
Despite never having won a bout in his professional boxing career, Ngannou (0-1) shocked everyone in October of last year by defeating WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1) via split decision. The intense rivalry between the former UFC heavyweight champion and one of the best heavyweight fighters in the business today opened the door for future notable boxing bouts.
After suffering consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua (27-3) has recovered. Joshua was the former two-time unified world heavyweight champion. He overcame Otto Wallin in five rounds in December, appearing to be in better shape. All the signs pointed to a match between Joshua and Deontay Wilder, but Wilder’s loss to Joseph Parker that same evening appeared to clear the way for Ngannou.
Last year, Ngannou quit the UFC and joined the Professional Fighters League, giving up his heavyweight title. It’s unclear when Ngannou will return to mixed martial arts competitions.
The contest has been the subject of extensive speculation and debate from both experts and fans. It is a burning question if Joshua’s superb boxing tactics will be countered by Ngannou’s blows with sufficient force. Or if Ngannou’s relentless aggression will be able to overcome Joshua’s technical skill. The clash of styles and the unpredictability of combat sports add to the excitement of this eagerly awaited match.
Both fighters have expressed how eager they are to test their abilities against one another, realizing the importance of the situation and the opportunity to make history. “Every fight leads to somewhere, so this fight is my everything; my soul, my spirit, my mind, my body. We’ll see where it leads me, right now, I’m not thinking about any championship belts or anything. My main focus is Francis, realistically, it’s getting through an intense, focused training camp, because how I train is how I fight. If I get victory in my training camp I am sure I get victory on the night. We’ll put the belts on hold because my focus is on getting through training camp and getting to the fight successfully,” said Anthony Joshua.
“I don’t take my last fight as a reference, I know exactly where I am at, I’m going to get better and better and that’s how I see things. I’m preparing for a tough fight, the Fury fight was great, but that’s in the past and I have a new challenge in front of me, and I take it more seriously now than before because now I think there’s something more on the line, which is probably the Undisputed fight. So let’s see, I will do something that no one has done before and I believe I have the tools to do that, starting with having the win over ‘AJ’ on March 8 in a big fight – not an easy fight, but a possible one and I am going to take it.” said Francis Ngannou.
Joshua vs. Ngannou is expected to be one of the Riyadh Season’s final events. The Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is set for next weekend, thus it will be a Friday night race. It is expected that a diverse crowd will witness the crossover boxing match, encompassing boxing enthusiasts, mixed martial arts followers, and casual viewers captivated by the spectacle of this once-in-a-lifetime fight.
Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou price: How much will event cost?
- U.S. PPV Price: $69.99
- U.K. PPV Price: £19.99
- For existing DAZN subscribers, the U.K. PPV price will be £18.99.
- DAZN monthly subscription: $19.99 on a 12-month contract or $24.99 month-to-month in U.S. / $24.99 per month in Canada / £9.99 in the U.K. on a 12-month contract or £19.99 month-to-month / 13.99 AUD
- DAZN annual subscription: $224.99 in U.S., $199.99 in Canada, £99.99 in the UK.