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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Robert Hynes

Oleksandr Usyk v Anthony Joshua 2 fight start time, TV and stream information, undercard and more

Anthony Joshua is hoping to regain the WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight titles when he faces Oleksandr Usyk this weekend.

The Ukrainian outclassed Joshua to win the belts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September and comes into the rematch as the favourite to win again.

This bout was originally scheduled to take place in May but was cancelled due to the war in Usyk's native Ukraine.

READ MORE: Dillian Whyte puts Anthony Joshua rivalry to one side to back heavyweight rival

Usyk returned to Ukraine earlier in the year to join in the fight against Russian forces. He was later given permission from the country's sports minister to return to his training camp for the rematch.

Here's what you need to know about it:

Date

Saturday August 20.

Start time

The first fight is expected to start around 3pm Irish time, with the main card kicking off at 5pm.

(PA)

Venue

The King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Main event time

Usyk v Joshua is scheduled to start at 10.54pm, with the ring walks expected to start around 10.30pm.

TV channel information

Sky Sports Box Office will show the fight live in Ireland for a cost of €31.95.

Quotes corner

Anthony Joshua: “It’s good to be back in Saudi Arabia. We’ve been here four weeks now, this is our fifth week. It feels like a second home, it’s been nice.

“May the best man win at the end of the day. I’m praying for victory and praying for a good fight as well. I want to do it this time.

“I’m going to come out…ding ding ding round one. Good defence, thinking positive, step forward…boom boom…one-two…Usyk drops…Joshua becomes three-time champion of the world in Saudi Arabia. Life is good!”

When asked if the rematch was the biggest fight of his career, Joshua added: “Yes, most definitely. I’ve felt that pressure in my camp, 100 per cent. It has pushed me on.”

Oleksandr Usyk: "In every fight I am fighting for my people. I want my fans to be happy with what I am doing and that’s why I’m doing it,” the former undisputed cruiserweight champion said.

“We are a boxing country. We have many boxers who have been on top for many years and people get used to that, they want high-level boxing, so we need to give them the thing we’re used to.”

(PA)

Anthony Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn: “The pressure’s off. I know he must win, but now he’s the underdog and people aren’t expecting him to win.

“He’s had to carry British boxing on his shoulders for years and years and that pressure has got to him. It’s arduous.

“People see this guy with belts, fame and money and just presume that’s a great life. But on the other foot, he’s also a young man who just wants to chill out and play football with his mates in the park, go for a coffee and do all these normal things he’s not able to do.

“It may not be as pleasing, exciting or entertaining, or provide as much happiness, as you might think. And he’s felt a lot of that pressure over the years because it’s a bubble he lives in.”

Betting odds

Oleksandr Usyk win: 1/2

Anthony Joshua win: 13/8

Draw: 16/1

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