Andy Ruiz Jr has vowed to “make history again” in his world heavyweight title rematch with Anthony Joshua.
Ruiz Jr, 30, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to begin preparations for the ‘Clash on the Dunes’ on 7 December.
“It feels good. You know I made history in New York and I’ll make history again in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Joshua, 30, is seeking to regain the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles after his shock defeat by Ruiz in New York in June.
The bout is the first heavyweight world title fight to take place in the Middle East and will be staged in the 15,000-seat Diriyah Arena.
Work on the purpose-built stadium only began in October but it is now close to completion.
Joshua visited the arena, which promoter Eddie Hearn described as “utterly breathtaking”, on Saturday.
In June, Mexican-American Ruiz floored Joshua four times en route to a seventh-round stoppage at Madison Square Garden, handing the Briton his first defeat as a professional.
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