Riyadh plays host to the event that has been dubbed 'Knockout Chaos' ahead of an enticing-looking fight card headed by a power match-up.
Joshua's bout with Ngannou somewhat appears to be a bit of a fallback given he was supposed to take on Deontay Wilder before those plans were scuppered when the American suffered a shock defeat to Joseph Parker in December.
Still, it represents a significant opportunity for both men at very different points in their boxing careers, with the winner likely to seal a potential meeting against the victor of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who face off in May.
Joshua's comeback trail continues
After a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 and being beaten twice to Usyk - the latest of which came in August 2022 - Joshua has been on a path to try and get back to the top.
Since then, he teamed up with coaches Derrick James and Ben Davison - the latter Fury's ex-trainer - and it has sparked a sort of revival.
"This is (Joshua's) fourth fight in 11 months. It's a message to all flagship fighters: You have to stay active," promoter Eddie Hearn said at a press conference on Wednesday.
"It's been a blessing. I've never seen him punching with such ferocity, I've never seen him with such confidence, and I believe he's the best heavyweight in the world - I do."
Under James, Joshua stopped the rot with a unanimous decision win over Jermaine Franklin Jr in April 2023 before following up with a better showing against Robert Helenius in August.
A crushing right-hander knocked out the Finn in the seventh round in a performance that showed some shades of the Joshua of old.
Joshua linked up with Davison before his December bout with Otto Wallin and another good display followed, dominating before the Swede's corner pulled him out after five rounds.
However, his upcoming bout against MMA icon Ngannou presents a different kind of test when all things are considered.
Ngannou looking to follow up Fury showing
Ngannou had never had a professional boxing fight before October 28th when he came up against WBC heavyweight champion Fury for his debut.
Few expected the former UFC champion to enter the boxing ring as a novice and stick with a force like Fury, but he surprised many with his performance and never looked out of place.
Despite losing to a close split decision, the 37-year-old Ngannou actually knocked Fury down in the third round and gave him several scares throughout.
Plenty of observers debated the result and whether it should have fallen in Ngannou's favour, but one thing it did do was make his presence more than known to the boxing world.
Ngannou is expected to be the firm underdog against Joshua, but that shouldn't mean the Brit will have it all his way as Fury found out.
"I think I haven't shocked the world yet," he said at a press conference. "I'm still in the 'factory', training, learning. When I really get it, that's when I think the world is really going to be shocked.
"I think I trust the process and the work that we're putting in, so it’s gonna pay off.
"I'm gonna leave everything in that ring on Friday night to come away with the win," Ngannou added.
Power in abundance
Being just Ngannou's second boxing match could make preparing for the occasion a little awkward for Joshua, despite his superior experience.
Ngannou's punching power caught Fury off guard at points and that will be his biggest asset if he is to pull off a stunning result in Riyadh.
While Joshua will see that as a threat, he could use his own practices to take control of the bout in his favour.
A more controlled approach that lengthens the match could cause Ngannou to start to tire, at which point Joshua will look to strike.
However, the Cameroonian will no doubt have some tricks of his own up his sleeve to try and catch Joshua out.
Joshua is no slouch himself in terms of power, though, having won 24 of his 27 bouts by knockout - his August victory over Helenius was his first knockdown win since December 2020.
So, it has all the ingredients to be a titanic battle and one that shouldn't disappoint.
