Former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua of Nigeria and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou of Cameroon met face-to-face for the first time on Monday at a news conference to promote their upcoming boxing match.
The two heavyweight stars will square off in a 10-round boxing match on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Joshua and Ngannou confirmed the date at the news conference as excitement builds for this unique crossover fight.
Ngannou made his boxing debut last October against Tyson Fury, shocking the boxing world by knocking Fury down in the 3rd round of an exhilarating fight that Ngannou narrowly lost by split decision. His performance paved the way for this fight with Joshua to materialize.
The winner between Joshua and Ngannou will likely get a shot at the eventual winner between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who had their undisputed heavyweight title fight postponed due to Fury's knockdown against Ngannou. Usyk and Fury are now set to fight on February 17.
There is intense interest surrounding Joshua-Ngannou as it pits one of boxing's biggest stars against one of MMA's most fearsome knockout artists. The Nigeria vs. Cameroon showdown promises to be an action-packed spectacle between two of the most dangerous heavyweight strikers in combat sports.