SPA, Riyadh

British boxer Anthony Joshua will face his Mexican rival, Andy Ruiz Jr, in Saudi Arabia for the World Heavyweight Boxing rematch in Diriyah Arena on December 7.

“I think my father would be happy and proud to watch this event take place in the Kingdom. When my father visited Saudi Arabia 48 years ago, he was warmly welcomed by its people. He repeated his visits when he came to perform Hajj and Umrah,” Rasheda Ali Walsh, daughter of the late boxing legend Muhammad Ali, said of the Clash on the Dunes fight.

This is Walsh’s second visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the World Boxing Championship, which she also attended last year in Jeddah, where she handed the Muhammad Ali Clay Championship Cup to boxer Callum Smith after defeating his opponent George Groves in the super middleweight bout.

That championship was the first major tournament hosted by the Kingdom under the supervision of the General Sports Authority.

Commenting on her recent visit to Jeddah, Walsh said: “Handing over my father’s cup is my biggest prize. It is not just a great achievement for the world champion, but an honor in itself for my father’s history and career in this sport.”

Joshua is trying to regain his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles after suffering a painful defeat in New York to Ruiz Jr in June. He will be seeking revenge in the historic “Clash on the Dunes” match in front of more than 15,000 boxing fans.

Other professional boxers will also be competing, including Russia’s Alexander Povetkin, who will face his US counterpart Michael Hunter in the qualifying match for the World Boxing Championship.

Croatian star, Filip Hrgovic, will battle for the World Boxing Council Championship’s title with American Eric Molina.

The audience will also have the chance to watch former WBA Champion Scott Koenig return to the boxing circuit after a year-long absence due to injury.

The announcement comes as part of an entertainment season which will include the Formula E Championship and the Diriyah Tennis Cup, as well as equestrian championships in which winners will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, in Japan.

Tickets are available on www.diriyahseason.sa