The next major boxing event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, takes place on Friday, March 8, and it’s being dubbed Knockout Chaos, with DAZN serving as the global broadcasting partner for the event.
The promoters are leaning heavily into the KO concept because the card features four heavyweights in action, and the likelihood that both featured fights end inside the distance is high. Anthony Joshua takes on Francis Ngannou in the main event, and fellow heavyweight bruisers Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker will clash in the co-feature.
All four men possess the power to end the night with one shot, so there will likely be a sense of tension during every round. Even more compelling than the highly probable KOs is the inevitable impact the results of the event will have on boxing and mixed martial arts. Zhang and Parker have both solidified themselves as significant championship contenders.
Parker is a former world champion whose upset win over Deontay Wilder in December 2023 ruined a potential meeting between the Bronze Bomber and Joshua. Zhang’s back-to-back KO wins over Joe Joyce have placed him on the cusp of his own title shot.
The winner of their fight would seemingly be in line to face the winner of the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk undisputed heavyweight championship bout that was recently rescheduled for May after the former suffered a cut over his eye in sparring.
Filip Hrgovic may have something to say about that, as could Joshua if he upends Ngannou, but there is no doubt Zhang and Parker stand to be in an enviable position with a victory in Riyadh. Ngannou is coming off a surprisingly good performance against Fury in October 2023.
In his professional boxing debut, Ngannou dropped Fury and lost a close decision to the lineal champion. What might have been the equivalent of a toe-dip in boxing before returning to MMA, where he is signed with the Professional Fighters League, has turned into a run that will produce at least two well-compensated plunges into the sweet science.
Ngannou’s first opponent with the PFL has been determined. On Saturday in Riyadh, PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira needed just 21 seconds to defeat Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in the PFL vs. Bellator pay-per-view.
Earlier in the week, the PFL announced the winner of that fight would face Ngannou in the latter’s promotional debut. With Ngannou sitting alongside the PFL SmartCage with Mike Tyson, Ferreira made a statement with his win and added some intrigue to his upcoming bout with trailblazing Cameroonian.
The ball is now in Ngannou’s court.
Will the former UFC Heavyweight Champion make a strong account of himself against Joshua? Can he actually win, or will another moral victory be enough to sustain his momentum?
Ngannou’s skill and power seemed to surprise a visibly unfit Fury in their bout. However, Joshua is never physically out of shape, and he has the luxury of having seen Ngannou box. Thus, it is doubtful Joshua will take his opponent likely.
If Joshua prevails, as many will expect, does Ngannou look good enough in defeat again to prevent his fight with Ferreira from losing some of its shine?
If Joshua wins but doesn’t look spectacular in the process, does he stay firmly ahead of Zhang, Parker, or Hrgovic in the race to be the next challenger for the undisputed heavyweight title?
These are the questions and if-then scenarios that will play out in Riyadh on March 8
The undercard will feature WBC Featherweight Champion Rey Vargas defending his title against the undefeated Nick Ball. The latest Riyadh card falls in the middle of a spectacular three days of combat sports.
PFL Europe’s regular season begins on Thursday, March 7. Knockout Chaos happens on Friday, with UFC 299 rounded out the weekend the following evening. It’s never been a better time to be a fan of boxing and MMA.
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