Sports

Done Deal: Joshua, Ngannou Fight Holds March

Former WBO, IBF and IBO champion, Anthony Joshua, will fight Francis Ngannou, the former UFC Champion who made his professional boxing debut late 2023 in a fight against Tyson Fury in March 2024.

The Cameroonian, Ngannou, is currently ranked in the top 10 places for heavyweight boxers and has made known his intentions to take up the career full time after almost defeating Fury despite the latter winning eventually on split decision.

The Joshua versus Ngannou 10-round fight will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia sometime in March albeit the date has not been confirmed.

Anglo-Nigerian Joshua had wanted to fight Deontay Wilder but that expectation was dashed on December 23 when the American lost to Joseph Parker.

Joshua lost all his three heavyweight belts in 2021 and his camp was looking forward to a bout with Croatian Filip Hrgovic before the latest announcement.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn made the disclosure in a post made on X (formerly Twitter).

A press conference officially heralding the fight will hold on Monday, January 15 in London.

Hearn post on the social media platform read thus:

“Tonight we confirm it’s a Done Deal! @anthonyjoshua v @francis_ngannou collide on a huge night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – press conference Jan 15 in London with full details dropping soon! #JoshuaNgannou @Turki_alalshikh @MatchroomBoxing @Queensberry #RiyadhSeason 🇸🇦”

Izuchukwu Okosi

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc. In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio. He worked there for 13 years until October 2017. Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch. He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations. Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line. Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.