Anthony Joshua has penned a deal to fight Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this month, Eddie Hearn revealed Ngannou was one of three contenders under consideration for Joshua’s next bout following his routine dismantling of Swedish professional Otto Wallin.
The former UFC champ was a comfortable favourite among boxing fans, and late last night Eddie Hearn took to Twitter to confirm the fight was on.
“Tonight we confirm it’s a Done Deal,” he said. “Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou collide on a huge night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Press conference on January 15 in London with full details dropping soon!”
For Ngannou, this represents a huge chance to etch his name into boxing folklore.
The French-Cameroonian only transitioned to the sport in October, when he shocked the world by putting on a composed display against Tyson Fury – albeit in an exhibition match.
Now, he has the chance to embellish his record with a win against one of the biggest names in boxing.
For Joshua, the fight represents a chance to continue upon his redemption arc and creep back towards the coveted heavyweight throne.
According to reports on Twitter, they are scheduled to meet on March 9, the same date that was previously set for the Joshua vs Deontay Wilder bout.
Wilder, who suffered a shock loss to Joseph Parker on the same night Joshua downed Wallin, could face Zhilei Zhang on the undercard.
