Saudi Arabia will host the world heavyweight title rematch between Britain’s Anthony Joshua and champion Andy Ruiz Jr of the United States in December, a decision certain to spark controversy due to the Gulf kingdom’s human rights record.
The high-profile December 7 duel, dubbed ‘Clash on the Dunes’, will see Joshua trying to win back the IBF, WBA and WBO titles he sensationally lost to Ruiz 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 Riyadh — a dramatic contrast to the iconic Madison Square Garden which hosted the first fight between the two men which ended in a seventh-round stoppage.
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Promoters Matchroom Boxing said the fight details will be officially revealed at a news conference in London on Monday.
The rematch had been widely touted but Cardiff’s Principality Stadium was tipped as favourite to stage the event.
The Saudis have faced intense diplomatic fallout over the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi which took place in the conservative kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Saudi rulers have utilised sport as a tool to try and soften their international image and to provide a showcase, they claim, for reforms inside the oil-rich state.
In February, they hosted a first European Tour golf event which was won by former world number one Dustin Johnson while the world’s most gruelling motor sports race, the Dakar Rally, will be raced in the country in 2020.