Joshua vs Ngannou Running Order, Start Time, Fight Card, Main Event Ring Walks

Joshua vs Ngannou Running Order, Start Time, Fight Card, Main Event Ring Walks

  • Anthony Joshua is one win away from a shot at the May 18 Fury-Usyk winner
  • Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou stands in the way of his dream fight
  • Joshua vs Ngannou Running Order and other important details ahead of Saturday

British Heavyweight star Anthony Joshua takes on the former UFC champion Francis Ngannou on Friday, March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia live on pay-per-view.

34-year-old Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) stopped Otto Wallin in five rounds at the end of a very active 2023 which also involved a decision win over Jermaine Franklin and a 7th-round KO of Robert Helenius.

37-year-old Ngannou (0-1) pushed Tyson Fury to the max in October, losing a close and controversial split decision in his boxing debut.

The winner of Joshua vs Ngannou is likely to meet the winner of the May 18 Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk fight at some point in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua vs Ngannou Fight Card

Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang (26-1-1, 21 KOs) and New Zealand’s former champion Joseph Parker (34-3, 23 KOs) clash in an explosive Heavyweight co-feature.

Zhang recorded back-to-back stoppage wins over Joe Joyce in 2023 whilst Parker pulled off a huge upset over Deontay Wilder in his fourth outing of last year.

Zhang vs Parker is one of the best fights that can be made in boxing’s glamour division and fight fans will be thrilled to see it take place on the Joshua vs Ngannou undercard.

Mexico’s Rey Vargas (36-1, 22 KOs) defends his WBC Featherweight title against Liverpool’s mandatory challenger Nick Ball (19-0, 11 KOs).

In November last year, Ball beat domestic rival Isaac Dogboe in a WBC final eliminator as part of the Queensberry Magnificent 7 card.

In another world title attraction, undefeated Matchroom Uzbek star Israil Madrimov (9-0, 6 KOs) battles Magomed Kurbanov (25-0, 13 KOs) for the WBA super welterweight title.

Kurbanov has come on the right side of numerous close decisions including his May 2021 win over Liam Smith and his heavily controversial victory over Michel Soro.

Madrimov has been waiting for his world title chance ever since he stopped Soro when they met in Uzbekistan in December 2021.

European lightweight champion Gavin Gwynne (17-2-1, 5 KOs) meets the undefeated prospect Mark Chamberlain (14-0, 10 KOs).

Australia’s Heavyweight prospect Justis Huni (8-0, 4 KOs) will have his second fight under Matchroom after his decision win over Andrew Tabiti in Mexico.

Huni takes on the former IBO champion, South Africa’s Kevin Lerena (30-2, 14 KOs) in an intriguing ten-round Heavyweight bout.

Jack McGann (9-0-1, 6 KOs) faces Louis Greene (16-4, 10 KOs), plus Roman Fury (3-O, 1 KO), Andrii Novytski (9-0, 8 KOs) and Ziyad Almaayouf (4-0, 1 KO) will all see action.

Joshua vs Ngannou Running Order

Prelims

  • Andrii Novytski vs. Juan Torres; 8 rounds Heavyweight
  • Ziyad Almaayouf vs. Christian Lopez Flores; 6 rounds Super lightweight
  • Roman Fury vs. Martin Svarc; 4 rounds Heavyweight
  • Jack McGann vs. Louis Green; 10 rounds Light middleweight

Main Card

  • Justis Huni vs. Kevin Lerena; 10 rounds Heavyweight
  • Gavin Gwynne vs. Mark Chamberlain; 12 rounds Lightweight
  • Israil Madrimov vs Magomed Kurbanov; WBA super welterweight title
  • Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball; WBC featherweight title
  • Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parker; 12 rounds Heavyweight
  • Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou; 10 rounds Heavyweight

Joshua vs Ngannou UK Time, PPV Price, Ring Walks

Joshua vs Ngannou TV Channel: DAZN has been named as the host broadcaster for this mega fight and will own the global rights and handle production. You can watch the card live on DAZN PPV worldwide.

Fans will also be able to purchase the event on secondary broadcasters including PPV.com in the United States, Sky Sports in the UK and others.

Joshua vs Ngannou PPV Price: £18.99 (DAZN PPV UK) and $38.99 (DAZN PPV US)

Joshua vs Ngannou UK Time: Undercard action will begin from around 3:20 pm BST (10:20 am ET).

The main card gets underway at 6:00 pm BST (1:00 pm ET)

Joshua vs Ngannou Ring Walks: Ring Walk times will be from around 11:20 pm BST (6:20 pm ET)

By Darshan Desai

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