Anthony Joshua is set to face off against UFC legend Francis Ngannou in a ten-round bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as confirmed by promoter Eddie Hearn. Ngannou who recently made his debut in professional boxing where he faced Tyson Fury, is back for another challenge against British heavyweight, Joshua. After a successful run in 2023, Joshua is now focused on rebuilding his career following losses to Oleksandr Usyk. The fight, scheduled for March 9, will take place on the date initially reserved for Joshua’s bout against Deontay Wilder. This reshuffling comes after Wilder’s defeat to Parker.
Joshua and Ngannou set for a showdown – Getty image Ngannou’s transition from MMA to boxing has been impressive, as seen in his fight against Fury where he surprised many by knocking down the heavyweight champion. Although, he lost the fight. Joshua, on the other hand is hoping for a third heavyweight championship title and sees the fight as a crucial step in his journey.
Riyad Mahrez celebrates winning the Premier League. Source: PA images City hasn’t officially confirmed the agreement of a deal for Mahrez with Al-Ahli, a Jeddah-based team which has this offseason signed goalkeeper Edouard Mendy from Chelsea and striker Roberto Firmino following the end of his deal at Liverpool. It is also speculated that Mahrez who is now set to depart for Saudi Arabia after five-trophy laden seasons at Manchester City, struck personal terms with Al-Ahli on a lucrative three-year contract with the option for a fourth, believed to be worth nearly £500,000 a week. 32-year-old Mahrez will undergo a medical at the club tomorrow. A slew of other top soccer stars have moved to Saudi Arabia’s Pro League this offseason as the oil-rich kingdom embarks on an attempt to raise the profile of its league. 
Riyad Mahrez celebrates winning a treble with his teammates. Source: Getty It’s been also reported that Liverpool have agreed to a £12m deal plus add-ons to sell England midfielder Jordan Henderson to Al-Ettifaq. The likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Ruben Neves have already followed Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia this summer, while Steven Gerrard has been named Al-Ettifaq manager and Michael Emenalo has been appointed the SPL’s director of football. The country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has also taken over four of the SPL’s leading clubs, including Al-Ahli, as the league aims to become one of the top five in the world. 
Son Heung-min playing for Tottenham. Source: Getty 31-year-old Son has been linked with a £51m deal to Saudi Arabia but at a press conference in Perth ahead of a pre-season friendly against West Ham United, he vowed to stay with the north London side. He said; “Probably if I wanted to go there (Saudi Arabia) I would be out there, not here. I love playing football. Obviously money is also important, but I dream of playing in the Premier League and still a lot of things to do. “Especially last season I suffered physically. This is not the Sonny that I know. So I want to prove that this season that I’m the Sonny that we all know. I want to prove that to myself and I want to give back to the club where I belong. 
Son Heung-min speaks at a press conference in Perth. Source: AFP “Saudi, obviously most people are going at the moment which is really, really interesting. But the Premier League is still a dream for me to play (in) and I’m looking forward to this season.” The Saudi Pro League have been keen to raise the profile of their competition by targeting top talents from around Europe with the prospect of earning lucrative wages in the Middle East. Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Roberto Firmino are among the top-quality players that have moved to Saudi Arabia. Son’s strike partner Harry Kane has also been the subject of transfer rumours as the England captain enters the final year of his contract, with the 29-year-old linked to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. 
