Francis
Ngannou is gearing up for his
second boxing showdown four months after his professional debut
against Tyson Fury.
This time, “The Predator” will go up against former unified
heavyweight champion Anthony
Joshua on March 9 in Saudi Arabia.
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The news was first reported by Ariel Helwani on Friday and later
confirmed by Turki Al-Sheikh, the Chairman of the General Authority
for Entertainment in Saudi Arabia. Promoter Eddie Hearn
subsequently announced that a press conference for the 10-round
boxing bout has also been scheduled to take place in London on Jan.
15.
Joshua opened -500 favorite according to SportsBetting.ag. Meanwhile, Ngannou serves as
a +325 underdog. This means one would have to bet $100 on Joshua to
collect a profit of $20. On the other hand, betting $100 on Ngannou
could potentially bring in a profit of $325. Those odds are subject
to change as the fight draws near.
Ngannou made his boxing debut on Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
against Tyson Fury.
While the Cameroonian managed to secure a knockdown against the
lineal heavyweight champion in Round 3, he was ultimately on the
receiving end of a split-decision loss.
On the other hand, Anthony
Joshua is currently on a three-fight winning streak and is
coming off a fifth-round stoppage victory over Otto Wallin. A
two-time former unified heavyweight champion, Joshua lost his title
to reigning heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021
via unanimous decision followed by another loss in their rematch
via split decision.