Joshua vs. Ngannou 1pm Start Time Friday Afternoon.

Heavyweight Doubleheader in Riyadh: Parker vs. Zhang Heats Up Joshua vs. Ngannou Night

This weekend in Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, boxing fans will be treated to not just one, but two heavyweight showdowns!

The main event features the highly anticipated clash between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou. But before these two giants collide, Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang will battle it out for the WBO interim heavyweight title.

Zhang, the 40-year-old Chinese fighter, captured the belt with a stoppage win over Joe Joyce in April and successfully defended it in their September rematch. Parker, 32, fell short against Joyce in his own title shot in 2022, but has since bounced back with four consecutive victories, culminating in a career-defining win over Deontay Wilder in December.

The action kicks off on Friday, March 8th, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event is expected to begin at 5pm GMT (10am PT, 12pm CT, 1pm ET), with ring walks for Joshua vs Ngannou likely to start at 10.30pm GMT (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET). Fans can catch the fights live on DAZN worldwide, while Sky Sports will also be broadcasting the event in the UK.

Both fights will follow standard professional boxing rules. They are scheduled for 10 three-minute rounds, with victories awarded by decision, knockout, or technical knockout (TKO). Judges will score each round using the 10-point system, with the winner receiving 10 points and the loser receiving 9. Deductions are possible for knockdowns or significant damage sustained, leading to scores of 8 or lower.

These same rules applied to Ngannou's professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury in October, where although the fight itself was not for Fury's WBC title, the standard boxing rule set remained in play.