Francis Ngannou is not taking the easy route to boxing superstardom. Ngannou, boxing for the second time in his professional career, meets former two-time unified heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua in Riyadh on Friday.
Ngannou nearly upset WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in the former UFC champ’s boxing debut in October. It was an unfathomable performance that immediately put Ngannou among the elite in heavyweight boxing. Joshua is the next immense obstacle for Ngannou to overcome. Joshua has rehabilitated his image nicely after consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk. He looked most rejuvenated in December by stopping Otto Wallin in five rounds. It’s a major spectacle that could propel Ngannou’s Cinderella story or Joshua’s resurrection to a title shot.
Friday’s card also features WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas defending his title against Nick Ball, plus Zhilei Zhang vs. Joseph Parker for the WBO interim heavyweight title. Undefeated lightweights Istrail Madrimov and Magomed Kurbanov round out the main card.
The action gets underway at 11 a.m. ET on DAZN pay-per-view. The full fight card with odds and complete viewing information is listed below.
Viewing information
- Date: March 8 | Start time: 11 a.m. ET (main event around 6 p.m. ET)
- Location: Kingdom Arena — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- How to watch: DAZN PPV ($39.99)
Joshua vs. Ngannou fight card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Joshua -345 | Francis Ngannou +270 | Heavyweights |
| Nick Ball -190 | Rey Vargas (c) +158 | WBC featherweight title |
| Zhilei Zhang (c) -240 | Joseph Parker +196 | WBO interim heavyweight title |
| Israil Madrimov -400 | Magomed Kurbanov +310 | Lightweights |
