The rematch between former World Heavyweight Champion, Anthony Joshua and the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Andy Ruiz Jr will hold in Saudi Arabia on December 7, 2019.
The December 7 fight, dubbed ‘Clash on the Dunes’, will see Joshua trying to win back the IBF, WBA and WBO titles he sensationally lost to Ruiz Jr in New York in June.
The bout will take place in Diriyah, which incorporates the UNESCO World Heritage site of Al-Turaif, on the outskirts of the capital Riyadh, AFP reports.
Ruiz Jr. hd stunned Joshua in June with a seventh round knockout in their fight in New York to become the first Mexican-American heavyweight world champion.
Joshua, previously undefeated, was defending his IBF, WBA and WBO titles but was knocked down four times before underdog Ruiz was awarded a technical knockout.
The loss at the Madison Square Garden was Joshua’s first in his stellar career. It was more stunning as the American-Mexican Ruiz, only took the fight at six week’s notice. He is now the owner of Joshua’s IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO world titles.
Ruiz was an outsider in the match that bookmakers gave to Joshua 25-1.
After flooring Ruiz with a left hook in the third round, Joshua hit the canvas when a right crashed against his temple. By the time a sensational three minutes was up he had been down again thanks to a flurry when cornered.