Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Live round-by-round updates

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou will go down later this evening at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

While Ngannou lost his boxing debut against Tyson Fury via split decision last October, he gave the WBC title holder one of his toughest fights in recent times. Since the closely contested loss, 'The Predator' has entered the WBC's top 10.

A win against Joshua might just be the former UFC heavyweight champion's ticket to a boxing world title shot.

Meanwhile, Joshua has reinvigorated his career in recent years after two back-to-back title fight defeats against Oleksandr Usyk. 'AJ' had a stellar 2023 campaign, raking up three wins. In his most recent win, the Brit earned a fifth-round win via retirement against Otto Wallin last December.

A win in Riyadh might help 'AJ' set up a title fight against the winner of Fury vs. Usyk.

Per Stake, Joshua is a -345 favorite against 'The Predator' (+225 underdog) for the matchup.

The electrifying heavyweight clash is set to start soon. Stick with Sportskeeda for live results and play-by-play updates.

Watch the trailer for Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou below:

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Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou

Round 1:

Francis Ngannou opens up the fight with a left hook. 'The Predator' is the early aggressor pursuing his opponent both to the body and head. 'AJ' is sticking and moving with quick jabs.

'AJ' connects with a straight right hand, which puts Ngannou down on the canvas. 'The Predator' survives the count. A good round for the former two-time heavyweight champion.

Round 2:

Coming into the second round, Joshua is exercising caution, while Ngannou is once again on the offensive. 'AJ' connects with another straight right hand. Ngannou is having a hard time landing clean on his opponent as 'AJ' circles away from his opponent's offensive.

A right hand sends 'The Predator' to the canvas once again. As they reset, 'AJ' follows up with another powerful right hand that puts 'The Predator's' lights out. It's a wrap, folks.

Official Result: Anthony Joshua def. Francis Ngannou via KO (Round 2)