Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou clash on Friday - and we will have all the latest news ahead of the heavyweight showdown.
Joshua will be looking for his fourth win in succession after recording three wins in 2023; against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin. The Brit should be preparing to take on Deontay Wilder this week but the American wrecked those plans when he lost to Joseph Parker two nights before Christmas.
Ngannou almost stunned the boxing world into silence last October when he dropped Tyson Fury in the third round of his boxing debut only to lose a controversial split decision after 10 intriguing rounds. Here, we will bring you the latest news from fight week in Riyadh ahead of the latest test in Joshua's career...
Tyson Fury will fly in from his Thailand training camp today, chiefly to support his brother Roman who fights on the undercard, but of course with one eye on the main event. He could well fight the winner, if he comes through against Oleksandr Usyk in May.
Hello again and welcome back to our blog ahead of Anthony Joshua's clash with Francis Ngannou on Friday night.
Deontay Wilder offers advice to Manny Pacquiao's son ahead of latest fight
Later on today the fighters will take part in a workout - or not, depending on their mood - as the countdown to the first bell continues.
We will have all the latest right here...
Fans are in for a rare Friday night card this week - and the fighters have reminded you of that.
FRIDAY NIGHT the showdown for the ages goes down, don't forget â°â°@anthonyjoshua vs. @francisngannou is live worldwide on DAZN on FRIDAY,â¯March 8. Buy NOW at https://t.co/FoiaUucafv. â°â°#JoshuaNgannou | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/S3ESmQfJfx
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 4, 2024
Tyson Fury's brother Roman, who fights Martin Svarc on the bill, confirmed the heavyweight champion will be in attendance on Friday night.
"He will be here. Tommy is flying tomorrow so I’ve got all the support in the world," Roman said. "It gives me that added motivation to put on a great performance, I don’t want to let them down do I?"
"Tyson will be here. I don't want to let him down."
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) March 4, 2024
Roman Fury confirms @Tyson_Fury will be in Riyadh on Friday night, watching him on the #JoshuaNgannou undercard #KnockoutChaos | 08.03.24 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/H4S14EAXEP
'AJ' takes centre stage to finish off today's grand arrivals, the Brit is looking in great shape.
“Im ready and looking forward to it," Joshua said. "There’s more than one way to skin a cat, it’s boxing. It’s not a battle for the centre it’s a battle for the win, I’m not fussed where I am in the ring. As long as I’m in a stance where I can punch, I’m in a good position.
"I’m trying to re-build and get that activity going. I’m not on my way out, I feel like I’m still on my way up. Let’s say I’m throwing 100 punches a round, my goal is to turn that into 110 so the next guy I fight is in for more of a pacing than the last one."
Tyson Fury proposes Cristiano Ronaldo job for Tommy if he loses to Jake Paul
AJ IN THE HOUSE @anthonyjoshua
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 4, 2024
Tune-in now https://t.co/it169vXDSH#JoshuaNgannou | #KnockoutChaos | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/bUX6Zrrh5x
Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou making his first appearance of fight week as he takes to the stage.
"Every single fight will always feel different. In my opinion, the Tyson Fury one was different. It was the first time and there was a lot of noise," Ngannou said. "Fury is loud and there was a lot of curiosity, even a lot of people including the boxing community didn’t believe it. It’s changed because now people are thinking,’ Ok, this is a normal fight’.
"There is a lot of takeaways because it was my first fight, I have never done a training camp for boxing but I had to do a training camp for 10-rounds. my body wasn’t reactive to that and it was very difficult to me, There were a lot of questions about how I was going to feeling in the fight."
The Predator @francis_ngannou ARRIVES
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 4, 2024
Tune-in now https://t.co/it169vXDSH#JoshuaNgannou | #KnockoutChaos | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/OQBNTkE4Jw
Pause that - Joshua and Ngannou aren't up next as Matchroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn and Queenbury Promotions boss Frank Warren are given the VIP treatment.
The promoters (hilariously) pose for snaps and NOW Joshua and Ngannou should be up next...
New @MensHealthMag cover? @EddieHearn
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 4, 2024
Tune-in now https://t.co/it169vXDSH#JoshuaNgannou | #KnockoutChaos | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/2o0j3wC5lR
Zhilei Zhang is up next at the grand arrivals in Riyadh - the final fighter to arrive before Joshua and Ngannou take to the stage!
The fighters are taking to the stage for the first time during fight week as the grand arrivals are underway.
You can watch along below.
Ngannou showed off his insane power on a punch machine last week - getting the top score with ease...
Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will clash this FRIDAY, March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight will likely start at around 11pm in the UK which will be 2am on Saturday local time.
The undercard fights will likely start at around 4pm but are subject to change.
”Anthony Joshua never trash talks, his personality is more serious unlike Tyson Fury who is more like a playboy. I think when it comes to fighting, they both know how to fight and that’s what I’m focused on," Ngannou said in an exclusive interview with Mirror Fighting.
“He might have been nervous but that doesn’t mean anything, in fact I think being nervous means he is taking things very serious. It’s very important because he’s going to do his best to show up on the day with everything.”
'AJ' is looking in tip-top condition just days out from the fight...
The best days of my life pic.twitter.com/14a7xJugFl
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) March 4, 2024
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou
Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker
Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball
Israil Madrimov vs Magomed Kurbanov
Mark Chamberlain vs Gavin Gwynne
Andrii Novytskyi vs Juan Torres
Justis Huni vs Kevin Lerena
Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou will be shown in the UK on both DAZN pay-per-view and on Sky Sports pay-per-view, costing just under £20. The fight will likely start at around 11pm in the UK and you can sign up for DAZN below...
Francis Ngannou insists he is a born fighter who is capable of knocking out Anthony Joshua ahead of their bout on Friday.
Ngannou insists his lack of experience in the ring will not prevent him from springing a shock in Riyadh.
“I finished my training camp yesterday and I feel good,” the 37-year-old told Sky Sports News. “It has been a tough eight weeks to get here. I feel like I did everything that could be done.
“I believe if I land on anybody I knock them out. But the question is how to land, that is the hardest thing. How to carry that power and energy for 10 rounds and still be able to knock someone out after all the fatigue. I don’t have experience in boxing but, don’t make any mistake, I had a lot of experiencing in life, of fighting.
“I view my fighting spirit as high as anybody else’s. I don’t have any (boxing) experience but I know I can fight. You’re born as a fighter, you don’t become a fighter, I do believe that.”
Anthony Joshua will start as the odds-on favourite on Friday - but so did Tyson Fury last October. On that occasion, Fury was dropped in the third round by the former UFC champion, only to recover and outpoint Ngannou after 10 rounds. This fight week feels different however, with no-one writing off the Cameroonian in quite the same way they did last year.
Hello and welcome to our boxing blog! We'll be bringing you the latest news from Saudi Arabia ahead of Anthony Joshua's clash with Francis Ngannou on Friday night, an intriguing fight which will determine whether Ngannou can really challenge the best in the boxing business.
We'll bring you the latest from the fight week events as well as all the news from a stacked undercard which features several other heavyweight stars and some homegrown talent.
