Saudi Arabia will play host to yet another exciting contest this week when British heavyweight Anthony Joshua takes on former Mixed Martial Arts champion Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou was seen as a rank outsider when he squared off against unbeaten WBC belt holder Tyson Fury last October in the kingdom.
Fury was expected to dominate Ngannou, despite not being in fighting shape for the contest. Instead, the British champion only just managed to avoid a huge upset in the crossover bout in Riyadh as he was forced to climb off the canvas in the third round before sealing a contentious split-decision victory.
Joshua, therefore, will be have to be careful when he takes on the Cameroonian, who was competing in a professional boxing bout for the first time when he went toe-to-toe with Fury.
Joshua 34, overpowered Otto Wallin at Riyadh's Kingdom Arena in December. There, Joshua gave one of his best performances with an impressive stoppage win.
While some see it only as a chance for Joshua to boost his bank balance, there remains a danger of the Briton hurting his chances of a third run at a world title if he loses to the 37-year-old Ngannou.
Either way, we will get to know for sure where both fighters stand in the world of boxing.
Knockout Chaos fight card
Joshua v Ngannou is not the only exciting heavyweight fight on the card. New Zealand's Joseph Parker is back following his impressive victory over Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia in December. He takes on Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang. Also, Britain's unbeaten Nick Ball takes on Rey Vargas for the WBC featherweight title.
Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou - heavyweight
Zhang Zhilei v Joseph Parker - WBO interim world heavyweight title
Rey Vargas v Nick Ball - WBC world featherweight title
Justis Huni v Kevin Lerena - heavyweight
Gavin Gwynne v Mark Chamberlain - lightweight
Jack McGann v Louis Green - super-welterweight
Andrii v TBA - heavyweight
Ziyad Almaayouf v TBA - super-lightweight
Roman Fury v TBA - cruiserweight
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British heavyweight Anthony Joshua celebrates victory over Otto Wallin during Day of Reckoning Fight Night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh late night on Saturday, December 23, 2023. Getty Images -
Britain's Anthony Joshua greets Sweden's Otto Wallin after his win at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. AFP -
Anthony Joshua celebrates after defeating Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia. AP -
Anthony Joshua, right, easily overpowered Otto Wallin at the Kingdom Arena. AP -
Anthony Joshua hits Otto Wallin during their heavyweight boxing match. AFP -
Joseph Parker secured a memorable win over Deontay Wilder in their match at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. AP -
Joseph Parker proved too good for former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. Reuters -
American star Deontay Wilder lost to New Zealand's Joseph Parker by unanimous decision. AFP -
Deontay Wilder before his fight against Joseph Parker. Reuters -
UFC great Conor McGregor with football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in Riyadh. Reuters
When and where is it?
Knockout Chaos takes place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Friday, March 8. Action starts at 7.30pm Saudi time (8.30pm UAE).
How to watch in UAE?
The fight will be shown on streaming platform DAZN. Fans can purchase access to the event for Dh 80.
Who said what
Joshua is looking to re-establish himself after losing his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight belts to Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk in 2021. He has won his last three fights.
"I believe I can knock him out," Joshua told Sky Sports.
"Definitely. I would love to knock him out and make a statement. Physically, I feel strong, feeling good. Strong enough to get the job done and mentally I'm in a place where I'm ready for war. I'm looking forward to the challenge.
"Mentally, I don't worry so much about my opponent and look at what my opponent can bring to me and think, 'how can I overcome these challenges they present?' I work really hard to up my game and look forward to showing everything I've worked on."
Ngannou vacated his UFC heavyweight belt after a contract dispute, signing with the Professional Fighting League. He insists his lack of experience in boxing will not hold him back in Riyadh.
"I finished my training camp yesterday and I feel good," he told Sky Sports News.
"It has been a tough eight weeks to get here. I feel like I did everything that could be done.
"I believe if I land on anybody I knock them out. But the question is how to land, that is the hardest thing. How to carry that power and energy for 10 rounds and still be able to knock someone out after all the fatigue."
