All eyes will be on the Kingdom Arena come March 8 as Saudi Arabia plays host to the latest heavyweight boxing clash.
This time, it’s Anthony Joshua’s turn to touch gloves with MMA star Francis Ngannou, as the Brit looks to do what Tyson Fury couldn’t.
Is Ngannou being overlooked?
The latest Joshua vs Ngannou betting odds have AJ a 1/5 favourite, while Ngannou is priced at 7/2 to get his hand raised.
The fact the Brit is the favourite is no surprise.
However, the extent to which he’s favoured is raising eyebrows, especially given Ngannou’s impressive recent performance against heavyweight champion Fury.
The Cameroonian went all 10 rounds with Fury, even scoring a knockdown against the Gypsy King.
Despite proving himself on the biggest stage against one of the greatest heavyweights ever, the boxing betting odds are at 4/1 for the upcoming fight to go the distance.
This suggests many are backing a Joshua knockout.
While it’s possible that Fury overlooked the former UFC champion, Ngannou proved he has what it takes to hang with the very best in 12-ounce gloves.
Losing a split decision in your boxing debut against a man who could soon become the unified champion is no disgrace.
In fact, it was Ngannou who controlled the action for most of that bout – he kept Fury on the back foot and sent him to the canvas in the third round.
For Fury, a man who is usually so elusive, this no doubt put a dent in his reputation.
Still in shock. Francis Ngannou actually knocked Tyson Fury down. pic.twitter.com/TgFVErHpT9
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) October 28, 2023
Joshua doesn’t rely quite so heavily on his defensive footwork, meaning he is often there to be hit.
However, the 34-year-old looked much improved in his recent victory over Otto Wallin, a tricky opponent that has caused the best problems over the years.
Joshua has everything in his arsenal to escape the ring unscathed, but only if he can avoid Ngannou’s devastating power punches.
A crucial fight for both men
For Ngannou, it’s now or never for his boxing career.
Although he looked mightily impressive against Fury, it’s still a loss on the record. Back-to-back defeats in his first two bouts could see the interest around him wane.
That may not be the worst thing for Ngannou’s career. Having recently signed for the Professional Fighters League, it would give him a chance to continue solidifying his legacy as one of the greats in MMA.
However, the 37-year-old has made it clear he sees his future in boxing. A victory, or at the very least a draw, is pivotal to maintaining Ngannou’s boxing hype.
After losing twice in a row to Oleksandr Usyk and failing to secure a highlight reel KO against Jermaine Franklin Jr., there were calls for Joshua to retire.
AJ hit back at the doubters, beating Robert Helenius via a brutal KO, before putting on a boxing clinic against the highly-rated Swede, Wallin.
If he can do what Fury failed to do and dominate Ngannou, or go one step further and finish him, Joshua will firmly place himself back into the heavyweight title conversation.
Victory is key to setting up a massive showdown with the eventual winner of Fury vs Usyk.
Shoryuken 💥 pic.twitter.com/mqr0CR2f15
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) January 23, 2024
Everything you need to know about Joshua vs Ngannou
Joshua vs Ngannou is scheduled for Friday 8th March at the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It is taking place due to a clash with the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, which will take place over the same weekend.
There will be two other title fights on the main card: Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker for the WBO interim heavyweight title, and Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball for the WBC featherweight title.
The action is likely to get underway at around 7pm UK time, with the main event scheduled for 11pm.
(pic under creative commons licence by Jumeirah)
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