Former heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will be in the ring on the same night at the same venue on December 23 in Saudi Arabia, but will fight two different fights, they said on Wednesday.

Joshua the Briton will face the Swede Otto Wallin, and Wilder the American will fight against the New Zealander Joseph Parker.

If they both win, they then hope to be able to arrange a fight against each other in early 2024.

The first lost his belts against Oleksandr Usyk, the second was beaten twice by Tyson Fury.

“I can’t predict the future but I know where I want to go, I know what I want to do,” Joshua, 34, told a news conference.

“I put a program in place at the start of this year and I’m sticking to it. I am a man of my word and I stick to what I believe: and I believe that I want to be (again) world heavyweight champion,” added the man who was IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion. .