Anthony Joshua puts his collection of belts and a future bout with Tyson Fury on the line against heavyweight enigma Oleksandr Usyk on September 25: Everything to know ahead of the fight
- Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk go head-to-head on September 25
- Joshua puts his IBF, WBA and WBO belts on the line against the Ukrainian
- It comes after his eagerly-anticipated bout against Tyson Fury fell through
- Former cruiserweight king Usyk is fighting at heavyweight for just the third time
When is Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk?
The clash between Joshua and Usyk is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 25 at a full capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Joshua is fighting in London for the second-straight fight, after defeating Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena in December last year.
There is also an abundance of action on the undercard, with the likes of Lawrence Okolie and Callum Smith entering the ring.
How to watch the fight
The fight will get underway at around 10.30pm on Saturday evening, for those in the UK.
The time of the main event will, of course, depend on the undercard action, which gets underway from 7pm.
Fans will be able to watch the event live on Sky Sports Box Office at a price of £24.95.
Sportsmail will also be running a live blog, so you can keep up-to-date with us.
Joshua vs Usyk: The key stats
Anthony Joshua
Age: 31
Nationality: British
Height: 6ft 6in
Reach: 82in
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 24W, 1L, 0D
Knockouts: 22
Debut: 2013
Oleksandr Usyk
Age: 34
Nationality: Ukranian
Height: 6ft 3in
Reach: 78in
Stance: Southpaw
Record: 18W, 0L, 0D
Knockouts: 13
Debut: 2013
Fight card in full
Cruiserweight world champion Lawrence Okolie is fighting on the undercard on September 25
- Lawrence Okolie vs Dilan Prasovic for the WBO cruiserweight title)
- Callum Smith vs Lenin Castillo
- Campbell Hatton vs Izan Dura
- Maxim Prodan vs Florian Marku
- Christopher Ousley vs Khasan Baysangurov
What’s been said?
Joshua has been typically respectful in the build-up to the fight, insisting Usyk’s phenomenal movement will make him his toughest test to date.
The unified champion says he’s been practicing throwing punches in bunches to negate his opponent’s quick feet, while revealing he’s been sharpening his mental tools to eventually pin Usyk down.
‘100 per cent, he will be (the toughest opponent),’Joshua told Sky Sports. ‘Movement means you are never stationery to get hit. Movement is important.
‘Concentration – when you want to [punch], you lock in, then make a move. You have to make sure your brain works. That can be mentally fatiguing so I am sharpening the mind so that I can concentrate for the 12 rounds. Also I practice having the ability to [punch] four times, not just once.
‘It’s a fight for the brain. Knowing what you’ve got in front of you and knowing how to deal with it.
‘You can either be aggressive, corner [him], throw everything at it. Or take your time, be clever, then knock [him] out.’
Joshua again looks to have shed weight ahead of his all-important clash against Usyk
Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk insists the Ukrainian is not too small to be a heavyweight
Pictures have also emerged of Joshua looking lean ahead of the bout, and the heavyweight champion admits he’d be foolish to come in too muscle-bound.
‘I’m fighting a guy who is a 12-round fighter,’ he added. ‘So it would be silly of me to go in there bulky with my muscles screaming for oxygen.
‘I’ve been training like a 15-round fighter in this camp. I will be well-conditioned to fight. That is key.’
Meanwhile, Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk has revealed they needed no second invitation to accept a non-obligatory rematch clause, insisting the Ukranian is confident he will win both bouts.
‘The rematch is something that is not obligatory in the mandatory fight. But we accepted the very fair conditions to agree to it,’ Krassyuk told mybettingsites.
‘Usyk is very confident in his victory over AJ and easily agreed for the second bout because his mindset will be even more favorable after he wins first.’
He added: ‘For those who do not see the clear reality that Usyk is a heavyweight, Usyk is the same size, weight, reach as his idol, Muhammad Ali. Can anyone of those say Ali was not a true heavyweight?’
Joshua vs Usyk: The odds
After putting in back-to-back stunning, and varied, performances against Andy Ruiz Jr and Kubrat Pulev, it comes as no surprise that Joshua is the favourite to prevail – regardless of Usyk’s prowess.
Joshua looks to have taken his shock defeat to Ruiz in his stride, shedding an abundance of unnecessary bulk and adopting a more cautious but clinical style.
In Usyk, he faces a highly skilled southpaw with a phenomenal amateur career and largely unparalleled credentials at cruiserweight.
Joshua comes into the fight as favourite after his scintillating performance against Pulev
Simply put, this no walk in the park for Joshua. But his height, power and skill make him the favourite nonetheless.
Joshua comes in as the 4/11 favourite to get the win, 5/6 by stoppage and 10/3 by a decision.
Meanwhile, a draw is at 22/1, with a Usyk victory at 2/1, 17/2 by stoppage and 11/4 by a decision.
*Odds as per Betfair and correct at the time of publication.