Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou's eagerly awaited heavyweight bout is scheduled to occur on a Friday night instead of the usual Saturday timetable, and there is a valid reason behind it.
The boxing battle in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, is scheduled for Friday, March 8 at the Kingdom Arena, though, official times are yet to be announced.
Reportedly, the fight was moved forward a day to avoid clashing with the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
The authorities wanted to ensure that both major events could proceed without one overshadowing the other in terms of fan attention. The Saudi Arabia GP was rescheduled to a Saturday race, departing from the usual Sunday, to prevent a clash with Ramadan, which begins on Sunday, the 10th of March.
The UK's much-loved Joshua has bounced back in his last three bouts following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, which led to the loss of his unified heavyweight title. The Watford-born boxer has secured victories in his last three matches against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, and Otto Wallin, respectively, over the past year.
Franklin was Joshua's first opponent after his twin defeats to Usyk, and he succumbed to the former champion in a unanimous decision at the O2 Arena in April. Joshua continued his winning streak at the O2 by knocking out Helenius in the seventh round of their bout in August. It's worth noting that Joshua was initially set to face Dillian Whyte, but the Jamaican-born Brit withdrew due to a positive drug test.
Francis Ngannou's form
In the opposite corner of the ring, Ngannou has already demonstrated his prowess after his inaugural boxing match and aims to ensure his second concludes in his favour. The Cameroonian faced Tyson Fury in his initial foray into boxing following his departure from the UFC as their heavyweight champion, a result of failed contract negotiations.
He took the WBC heavyweight champion all the way to the end, even securing a knockdown in the third round, but emerged on the losing side of a split decision that maintained Fury's undefeated record.
The winner of Joshua vs Ngannou is potentially slated to face either Usyk or Fury after their clash for the title of the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the 21st century. The bout should have already been scheduled, but a cut sustained to the Brit's eye prompted the original date of the 17th of February to be postponed by a couple of months.
The eagerly anticipated title showdown between the undefeated champions is now scheduled for the 18th of May at the same Kingdom Arena where the Joshua vs Ngannou bout will take place.