Oleksandr Usyk will defend his heavyweight titles against Anthony Joshua on Saturday in a rematch of Usyk’s unanimous decision victory last September.
OLEKSANDR USYK (19-0, 13 KOS) VS. ANTHONY JOSHUA (24-2, 22 KOS)
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 20
- Time: 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: Jeddah Superdome, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- TV/Stream: DAZN
- Cost: $19.99 per month or $149.99 annually (no pay-per-view charge in U.S.)
- Division: Heavyweight (no limit)
- Rounds: 12
- At stake: Usyk’s IBF, WBA and WBO titles
- Pound-for-pound ranking: Usyk No. 3
- Odds: Usyk 2-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Callum Smith vs. Mathieu Bauderlique, light heavyweights; Filip Hrgovic vs. Zhang Zhilei, heavyweights; Badou Jack vs. Richard Rivera, cruiserweights
- Prediction: Usyk UD
- Background: Usyk scored a significant upset when he outboxed Joshua to win a convincing decision and take three of the four major heavyweight titles even though he was outweighed by nearly 20 pounds last September in London. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion stepped back from boxing after Russia invaded his native Ukraine but he was encouraged to defend his belts. He’s 3-0 as a heavyweight, with victories over Chazz Witherspoon (TKO 7), Derek Chisora (UD) and Joshua. Joshua might be in a do-or-die situation. Back-to-back losses to Usyk and three setbacks in five fights would be difficult to overcome for the one-time king of the division. Of course, he bounced back from disappointment in the past. The Londoner was stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr. in seven rounds to lose his titles in June 2019 only to easily outpoint him in the rematch six months later. Joshua stopped Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds in December 2020, his only fight since the second meeting with Ruiz. The winner of Usyk-Joshua II will be in position to face Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship if Fury doesn’t retire.
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