January 15, (THEWILL) – British boxing star, Anthony Joshua, is preparing for his latest bout in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, facing off against Cameroonian-French former mixed martial arts (MMA) heavyweight, Francis Ngannou, on March 8.
The former unified heavyweight champion heads into the clash following an impressive fifth-round stoppage victory over Sweden’s Otto Wallin last month in Jeddah. Ngannou, who only made his professional boxing debut in October 2024 with a tie against reigning WBC champion, Tyson Fury, will be hoping to cause another upset against the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist.
The high-profile clash comes as Saudi Arabia cements its position as a premier destination for major boxing and sporting events, with promoters enticed by the promise of lucrative purses funded by the Gulf nation’s oil wealth. This will be followed by an upcoming unification fight between Fury and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk slated for 17 February in Riyadh.
However, Saudi Arabia has faced accusations of “sportswashing” its image and reputation following criticism of its human rights record, with events like the 2034 FIFA World Cup, LIV Golf tournaments and Formula One Grand Prix allegedly used to deflect domestic issues.
Both Joshua and Ngannou will be looking past the politics to focus on the prize fighting at hand later this month. Joshua will do well to prepare for the hard-hitting MMA heavyweight if he intends to avoid embarrassment.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
