Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are set to face each other in a 10-round boxing match in Riyadh, with the likely date being March 8, pending confirmation during a press conference on Jan. 15. The announcement came from Turki Al-Shaikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority.
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Joshua, a two-time boxing world champion, will take on Ngannou, a mixed martial arts star who recently faced Tyson Fury in Riyadh. While Joshua might have a potential matchup with Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF world championship, a fight with Ngannou offers greater promotional opportunities for both, given their sizable fan bases and past successes in Riyadh.
Hailing from Cameroon, Ngannou, has limited experience in professional boxing, with only one prior match. Despite a close call in October where he almost knocked down Tyson Fury, he ultimately lost in a split decision. Now, he’s making a return to Saudi Arabia to take on Joshua.
Joshua, who lost his unified belts to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021, was set for a fight with Deontay Wilder. However, the latter lost to Joseph Parker, disrupting Joshua’s plans for a match.
Following the loss to Usyk, Joshua, currently without belts, initially declined a match against Ngannou. However, Ngannou’s performance against Fury convinced the British heavyweight that Ngannou presented a formidable and worthwhile challenge.
Both fighters are ranked in the WBC’s Top Ten, making a Joshua vs. Ngannou showdown appealing to boxing and MMA fans worldwide. The winner could position themselves for a future bout against the victor of Fury versus Usyk.
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Saudi Arabia’s investment in various sports, ranging from football to MMA, aligns strategically with the nation’s broader economic diversification goals outlined in its Vision 2030 plan. Experts highlight that the expansion of the sports market, currently valued at $5.75 billion in 2022, to an ambitious target of $22.2 billion by 2030 reflects active steps taken by Saudi Arabia to diversify its economic avenues and decrease its reliance on oil revenues.
This proactive approach is expected to lead to transformative growth and development in sports like MMA and boxing in the Kingdom and the broader Middle East, as this not only improves the country’s sports infrastructure but also creates a lucrative opportunity in sports tourism, providing an additional boost to the Kingdom’s economy.
Sports investments have caused the engagement of both men and women in sports to see a substantial rise, climbing from 13 percent in 2015 to nearly 50 percent in 2022. Concurrently, the number of sports federations in Saudi Arabia has surged from 32 in 2015 to over 95 in 2022, underscoring significant investment potential in the sports sector.
