It has been officially confirmed that the rematch between Alexander Usyk and Anthony Joshua will take place in Saudi Arabia on August 20. The highly expected rematch was first announced last month, but the date and location confirmed until now.
This will be the second time these two heavyweight giants will face off against each other. The first time was back in December 2021, when Usyk defeated Joshua with a unanimous decision to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Since then, both men have had successful title defenses. Joshua defended his titles against Andy Ruiz Jr in a rematch, while Usyk vacated his titles and moved up to the cruiserweight division, where he is the current WBO champion.
Now, they will meet once again, this time with the WBO, IBF, WBA, and IBO heavyweight titles on the line. The fight will take place at the Diriyah Arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia and will be available to purchase on pay-per-view.
The date and location of the fight had been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks. There were reports that the fight was going to take place in either Dubai or Abu Dhabi. However, it was ultimately decided that Saudi Arabia would be the host country.
This will be the first time that Joshua has fought in Saudi Arabia, and he is looking forward to the challenge. “I can’t wait to touch down in Saudi Arabia and put on a show for the fans,” Joshua said in a statement.
Usyk has fought in Saudi Arabia before. He defeated Tony Bellew in the country back in 2018.
The fight will be the main event of a massive boxing card that will also feature several other big names. One of the most expected fights for them is the WBA ‘Regular’ welterweight title fight between Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman.
This rematch is going to be epic. It’s going to be a huge test for both fighters. Can AJ hold on to his WBO heavyweight championship belt? Or will Alexander Usyk take it back for the second time? It’s going to be an epic battle. I can’t wait for it.