ANTHONY JOSHUA faces Francis Ngannou in a truly make-or-break fight for the British superstar.
The fight will be a ten-round boxing match, with the former two-time heavyweight champion and the ex-UFC star colliding in what’s another big coup for Saudi dealmaker Turki Alalshikh.
AJ overcame tricky southpaw Otto Wallin on another blockbuster bill in the Middle East at the end of last year.
Before last month’s epic card, Joshua was expected to fight long-term rival Deontay Wilder after his meeting with the Swede.
But any hopes of a deal went up in smoke after the Bronze Bomber was on the end of a shock defeat to Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia.
Ngannou, meanwhile, raised many eyebrows in the world of boxing following his stunning debut against Tyson Fury in October 2023.
Many thought the UFC legend got the better of the Gypsy King on the night, dropping him in the third round before losing a split decision in controversial fashion.
Fury now faces Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed title on May 18.
And the winner between Joshua and Ngannou are then primed to challenge for the unified belts.
So it’s all to play for in the Riyadh rumble with careers and title shots on the line.
For the second fight in a row, Joshua will be cornered by Ben Davison, who he linked up with before his latest victory against Otto Wallin.
Davison replaced Derrick James, who was occupied Stateside, and the former coach to Fury retains his place in AJ’s team.
For Ngannou, his corner is led by ex-kickboxer Dewey Cooper with assistant John M’Bumba and MMA head trainer Eric Nicksick making up the team.
AJ comes into the bout having dominated Wallin just four months ago in an impressive performance.
Many believed he was back to his best as he ruthlessly broke the Swede down, fracturing Wallin’s nose in the process.
It was Joshua’s second stoppage on the spin and third victory in a row.
The Cameroonian put his MMA career on hold for a boxing switch and stunned several on his debut against Fury.
He dropped the Gypsy King and was deemed unfortunate to walk away with a split-decision loss.
Still, the showing convinced AJ to the negotation table and set up another lucrative crossover clash for Ngannou.
The fight goes down on a Friday night, not the usual Saturday.
This is because of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix taking place that weekend at 5pm GMT on Saturday, March 9 over in Jeddah.
Boxing will be on it’s knees if 2012 Olympic golden boy and 2x world champion Anthony Joshua cannot handle a cage fighter, writes Sun Boxing correspondent Wally Downes Jr.
Yes Francis Ngannou always wanted to emulate Mike Tyson, yes his best days with the UFC were spent on his feet trading punches instead of kicks and submissions and yes the 37-year-old Cameroonian Adonis did floor Tyson Fury in October.
But our AJ now knows not to take the powerhouse lightly and to respect his power and resilience in a way Morecambe’s WBC Gypsy King did not.
AJ should hit Ngannou harder than he’s ever been struck before and he should finish him inside the opening five rounds.
Among the fights taking place on the Joshua-Ngannou undercard is Zhilei Zhang‘s huge fight with Joseph Parker.
Queensberry fighter Nick Ball will also challenge Mexican Rey Vargas for the world featherweight title.
Joshua has said: “He brings two arms, a body, but his mind is different to everyone else. In terms of his frame and make-up, I’ve seen people like him many times before.
“My main focus is Ngannou and getting through an intense training camp.
“I have got to take his mind and his spirit, it will be explosive. We can both trade and it will be a good fight.”
Ngannou said: “Of course I think I can beat him. I called for the fight. I am here to beat him and that’s why I came over here.
“I’ve been calling for these kind of fights for four years. I’m not here to show up, I am here to take over. It might sound crazy. It might sound irrational. But that’s what I am committed to and that is what I want.”
