Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Joshua appeared to be hitting it off at ringside as they took their seats next to each other ahead of Tyson Fury‘s heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night.

Ronaldo previously sat next to UFC star Conor McGregor when he watched Joshua beat Otto Wallin back in December, but this time he was placed alongside the Brit.

And the two sporting superstars looked to be getting on well as they were spotted sharing a laugh while watching the heavyweight clash between Agit Kabayel and Frank Sanchez on the Fury vs Usyk undercard.

Exactly what they were talking about is unclear, but Joshua may have been passing on his expert knowledge to Ronaldo, who has taken a keen interest in boxing over the years.

It was a far cry from Ronaldo’s previous experience at a boxing event in Saudi Arabia when he was sat next to McGregor.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Joshua were spotted sharing a laugh at ringside

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Joshua may have been passing on his expert knowledge to Ronaldo as they sat together

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Ronaldo appeared happier to be sat next to Joshua than he was when placed alongside Conor McGregor back in December

On that occasion, McGregor was seen talking to Ronaldo in an animated fashion during the evening, with the Portuguese footballer looking as though he was struggling to maintain interest.

Fans likened it to being ‘cornered at a party’ and claimed that Ronaldo looked ‘so uncomfortable’.

But he looked more than happy to speak to Joshua, with the former two-time heavyweight champion having a vested interest in the outcome of tonight’s fight.

After winning his last four fights, Joshua has gathered momentum and looks to be in line to face the winner of tonight’s bout in the not-too-distant future.

A Fury victory could set up a huge domestic dust-up with Joshua, while AJ may also fancy a third crack at Usyk if he gets his hand raised.

Joshua was beaten twice by the Ukrainian on points in 2021 and 2022, but has bounced back well to put himself in the title picture once more.

Boxing legends AJ, Derek Chisora and David Haye in the house

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Joshua has a vested interest in how tonight’s main event between Fury and Usyk plays out

He has teamed up with Fury’s former trainer Ben Davison in his last two fights and recorded dominant wins over Wallin and Francis Ngannou to indicate that he is back to his very best.

Maintaining his current level of form could give him a chance at exacting revenge if he faces Usyk again, with Joshua still determined to prove that he can get back to the top of the heavyweight division.