All you need to know about Joshua vs Ngannou clash

Former heavyweight champ, Anthony Joshua, who lost his belts to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, United Kingdom, will face former mixed martial arts star, Francis Ngannou in a 10-round heavyweight clash in Saudi Arabia dubbed ‘Knockout Chaos’.

Joshua, a former unified WBO, WBA, and IBF heavyweight champion, has won his last three fights against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, and Otto Wallin; and aims to extend it to four straight wins when he faces Ngannou who is in only his second boxing game.

Ngannou held the title of UFC heavyweight champion before he exited the promotion to pursue his boxing career, amassing a record of 17 wins and three losses in MMA.

Date
The fight holds on Friday, March 8, 2024, starting at 4 p.m. GMT.

Venue
Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Where to watch
The bout will be live on different pay-per-view channels.

Boxing records

No title
There is no title on the line when Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou face off. Joshua lost multiple belts to Usyk and was unable to regain them in their rematch. Similarly, Ngannou was unsuccessful in his attempt to claim Fury’s WBC crown, suffering a controversial defeat against the Briton.

Prize money

Joshua will make $50m while Ngannou pocket about $20m.

Both fighters speak:

Joshua: “This Friday it’s going to go down, so I can’t wait for the opportunity to show my skills and combat this person who thinks he can knock me out. I believe I can knock him out. Definitely. I would love to knock him out and make a statement.

“I’m just ready for a good fight – someone who’s got two arms and I know where the jabs come from, the hooks, the body shots, the right hand, the right hook – so I can be ready for the shots coming my way.

“He has to be ready for the shots which are coming his way because I’m a man who will be standing in front of him, bringing him a lot of hell and problems as well.”

Ngannou: “I believe if I land on anyone, I will knock them out. The question is how to land? That’s the hardest thing.

“Almost everyone in this division can knock anyone out, but how do you land or carry that power and energy to 10 rounds and still hit someone hard or knock somebody out after all the fatigue? It’s a chess game.

“I didn’t have any experience in boxing but don’t make any mistake. I’ve had a lot of experience in life and a lot of experience fighting. I’ve built my fighting spirit as high as anyone else. I know I can fight.”

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