Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Joshua will sit together to watch Tyson Fury‘s undisputed heavyweight clash with Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia tonight.
Fury and Usyk will finally settle their differences in Riyadh to determine the best heavyweight on the planet, and Joshua is set to be an interested observer after winning his last four fights.
He could potentially face the winner in the next 12 months, and will have a front row seat for tonight’s spectacle.
And he will be sat next to Ronaldo, who has shown himself to be a keen boxing fan over the years.
After playing for Al-Nassr last night in their 1-1 draw with Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal, the Portuguese star will be in attendance at ringside this evening to take in the action alongside Joshua.
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Joshua will sit next to each other for Tyson Fury’s fight with Oleksandr Usyk
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Ronaldo was placed next to Conor McGregor when Joshua fought Otto Wallin in December
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Fans felt Ronaldo looked uncomfortable when he was sat alongside McGregor last year
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Joshua emerged victorious that night after Wallin’s corner threw in the towel after five rounds
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Ronaldo and Joshua will be interested observers as Fury and Usyk battle to prove they are the best heavyweight on the planet
Ronaldo was also in the front row for Joshua’s victory against Otto Wallin in December, but on that occasion he was placed next to MMA superstar Conor McGregor.
During the evening, McGregor was seen speaking in an animated fashion to Ronaldo who appeared to be saying very little in return, leading to fans likening it to being ‘cornered at a party’ and claiming they’d never seen the footballer ‘look so uncomfortable’.
This time, Ronaldo won’t have to speak to McGregor, who is not expected to attend the fight as he is currently training for his UFC return against Michael Chandler next month.
However, Ronaldo’s former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney is set to be in Riyadh.
Rooney is another footballer with a major interest in boxing, and he even confirmed earlier this year that he has held talks with Misfits Boxing over potentially having a big-money fight himself at some point.
Ronaldo and Rooney’s relationship blossomed when they played together at Old Trafford between 2004 and 2009, but it has become strained in recent years after Ronaldo returned to the Theatre of Dreams in 2021.
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Wayne Rooney is also expected to attend tonight’s undisputed heavyweight fight
During Ronaldo’s second spell at the club, Rooney suggested that United would be better off moving on from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to give more opportunities to younger players – a comment that Ronaldo appeared to be unhappy with.
Ronaldo did eventually leave United following a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan where he criticised the club and manager Erik ten Hag, leading to his contract being terminated.
