British boxing star Anthony Joshua could be on his way to challenging Tyson Fury for the WBC world heavyweight title if he defeats former UFC champion Francis Ngannou. The highly anticipated bout is set to take place on March 8 in Saudi Arabia, marking Joshua's second boxing match.
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Joshua's No.1 Ranking
As it stands, Joshua holds the No.1 ranking in the WBC's challenger list. This means that if he secures a victory against Ngannou, he could potentially be mandated to face Fury for the coveted world title.
WBC President's Statement
In a recent interview with Gambling.com, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman acknowledged Joshua's impressive career and stated, "He has had a sensational career and if he beats Francis Ngannou, then he is number one in the WBC while Francis Ngannou is number 10 so the winner will certainly be positioned for great things in the immediate future."
The Ngannou-Fury Battle
Last year, Ngannou temporarily put his MMA career on hold to make his boxing debut against Fury. In a surprising turn of events, Ngannou managed to knock down Fury, though he eventually lost the match due to a controversial split-decision.
Upcoming Fights
Fury, aged 35, is set to face Oleksandr Usyk, aged 36, on February 17 in Saudi Arabia for the undisputed heavyweight crown. Joshua, aged 34, will then take on Ngannou, aged 37, just three weeks later.
Potential Showdown
While the winners of these two super-fights could potentially meet, Fury and Usyk are already contracted to a rematch. However, Sulaiman expressed that the WBC would be open to altering plans if the promoters made such a request.
"The WBC already sanctioned Fury v Usyk and the rematch. We received the request and have already accepted a rematch if the promoters put it together so that’s where the WBC stands. If the promoters change their request for the rematch, we will certainly address it," said Sulaiman.
