In his professional boxing debut in October, Ngannou was defeated by Tyson Fury.

Joshua, 34, was scheduled to meet Deontay Wilder after defeating Otto Wallin, but the American’s loss to Joseph Parker scuttled those plans.

On Friday, Hearn announced on X that “Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou collide on a huge night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”

Although a March 9 date has been proposed, Hearn stated that a press conference will be held in London on January 15 with further details regarding the fight “coming soon.”

The WBC classified Cameroon-born Ngannou, 37, as the number ten heavyweight after nearly dethroning WBC heavyweight champion Fury in a disputed split decision in Saudi Arabia.

Organizers in Saudi Arabia had originally planned a Joshua-Wilder fight for this year, but the 38-year-old Wilder’s defeat by New Zealander Parker on the same card as Briton Joshua’s victory over Wallin meant a much-anticipated mega-fight fell through.

While no contract has been finalized, the duo were expected to enter the ring following the bout and declare a fight date in early 2024.

Meanwhile, when they eventually meet on February 17 in Saudi Arabia, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999.

The WBC champion is Britain’s Fury, 35, while Ukraine’s Usyk, 36, holds the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles.