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Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua square off tonight in an all-important rematch at the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua is out for revenge after losing his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts to the Ukrainian mastermind last September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The winner will look to face WBC champion Tyson Fury next in an historic undisputed showdown, despite the Gypsy King once again announcing his retirement last week.
Oleksandr Usyk (left) and Anthony Joshua (right) square off for a second time on Saturday
Usyk waltzed to a stunning unanimous decision win over the British heavyweight last year
Joshua was heavily criticised after opting against using his evident physical advantages last time out, instead looking to outbox the boxer in a move that proved disastrous.
The 32-year-old has since left long-term coach Rob McCracken and teamed up with Robert Garcia, insisting he now plans to hunt for the knockout.
Usyk, undoubtedly one of the pound-for-pound stars in the sport, has been given a full camp after taking a step away from boxing to help defend his country amid the ongoing Russian invasion, with the fight pushed back from May and then July.
Joshua will be hoping he can avenge the second defeat of his career, having done so against Andy Ruiz Jr, also in Saudi Arabia, back in 2019.
As the spectacle edges ever closer, Sportsmail takes you through everything you need to know.
When is Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua?
The clash between Usyk and Joshua is scheduled to take place tonight at the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia.
The pair are expected to walk to the ring around 10.30pm UK time, though that will of course depend on results beforehand, with an abundance of action taking place on the undercard.
Also on the card are Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang, who clash in an intriguing heavyweight encounter.
Britain’s Callum Smith is also in action against Mathieu Bauderlique in a WBC light-heavyweight final eliminator, while Badou Jack will take on Richard Rivera.
How to watch the fight
The fight, which will be a 12-round contest, will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Box Office.
It will cost a total of £26.95 for those in the UK, and €31.95 for Republic of Ireland customers.
For those who want to stream the fight, you will be able to do so on the Sky Sports Box Office app and website, while repeat showings will take place at 8am and 3pm on Sunday.
Sportsmail will also be covering the fight live, so you can keep up-to-date with us.
Usyk vs Joshua: The key stats
Oleksandr Usyk
Age: 35
Height: 6ft 3in
Reach: 78′
Stance: Southpaw
Record: 19-0-0
Knockouts: 13
Rounds: 156
Debut: 2013
Anthony Joshua
Age: 32
Height: 6ft 6in
Reach: 82′
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 24-2-0
Knockouts: 22
Rounds: 124
Debut: 2013
Usyk dominated much of the fight and came close to getting the stoppage in the 12th round
The Ukrainian mastermind claimed the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts with the victory
Fight card in full
- Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua
- Filip Hrgovic vs Zhilei Zhang (IBF heavyweight final eliminator)
- Callum Smith vs Mathieu Bauderlique (WBC light-heavyweight final eliminator)
- Badou Jack vs Richard Rivera
- Ramla Ali vs Crystal Garcia Nova
- Tyron Spong vs Andrew Tabiti
- Ben Whittaker vs Peter Nosic
- Daniel Lapin vs Jozef Jurko
- Ziyad Almaayouf vs Hector Alatorre
What’s been said?
The pair have remained respectful throughout the build-up to the bout, as they were before their first encounter.
Joshua has admitted both that he got his tactics wrong and that Usyk ‘bust my a**’ last September, but insists he will emerge victorious on Saturday.
‘It’s tough, but I’m relishing the challenge,’ he said at Thursday’s press conference. ‘Let’s get the job done, instinct, stay focused and god willing, I’ll be victorious.
‘I have goals that I want to achieve on the night, and I need to be disciplined to follow through. It’s competition with myself. The belts mean something, but that’s at the end of the target.
‘I’ll focus on the process first and foremost. I want to compete. I have a competitive spirit.’
Joshua and Usyk have remained amicable throughout the build-up to the all-important bout
Usyk, on the other hand, insisted the fight will be similar to their first encounter.
‘We learned a lot about each other in the first fight. He learned about me and I learned about him,’ Usyk said. ‘But this is not going to be a new bout, it’s going to be the last bout continued for rounds 13,14,15 – for however long it lasts.
‘We’ve had enough time to study each other and Saturday will be a great, great fight. We were born to compete at life, for belts, for anything. The one who does not compete, does not live.
‘All our lives are competitions – for anything, for someone – that’s why we’re competing.’