Arguably the biggest fight of the year will take place on the same day as UFC 278. Oleksandr Usyk (19-0 with 13 knockouts) will defend his IBF, IBO, WBA, and WBO heavyweight titles against Anthony Joshua (24-2 with 22 knockouts) after winning those belts from Joshua in London last September. This is being billed as Rage on the Red Sea, and a Usyk victory would establish him as one of the three or four best pound-for-pound boxers in the sport. A loss for Joshua would be devastating for his career, as the former gold medalist has not lived up to expectations after a strong start as a professional.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua II (Rage on the Red Sea) will take place on Saturday, August 20, 2022, from King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This fight will be shown on DAZN in the United States and most of the world, but Sky Sports will broadcast in the United Kingdom. The main card is slated to start at 1 p.m. ET with the main event expected to get underway around 4:30 p.m. ET.
When: Saturday, August 20, 2022
Where: King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Why: IBF, IBO, WBA, and WBO heavyweight titles
Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua Betting Odds
Oleksandr Usyk -220
Anthony Joshua +172
Total Rounds 10.5
After pulling off the upset in the first fight, Oleksandr Usyk is a clear favorite by the boxing betting odds in the rematch. For those unfamiliar with betting on boxing, a $220 bet on Usyk would return $100 at these odds. Meanwhile, a $100 bet on Joshua would result in a $172 profit if the former champion were to win at this price.
As the fight nears, there will be decision betting too. You will be able to bet on whether the fight is decided by KO, TKO, or decision, and you can bet on which boxer will win the fight in that fashion as well.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua Preview
Anthony Joshua was billed as the next great heavyweight ever since he won gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Joshua appeared to live up to that promise by knocking out each of his first 20 opponents. He won the IBF heavyweight title for the first time against Charles Martin in April 2016, and he added the IBO and WBA heavyweight belts the following year with a late knockout of Wladimir Klitschko.
Joshua added the WBO heavyweight title with a unanimous decision win over Joseph Parker, and he defended all four titles against Alexander Povetkin. He was expected to dominate Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019 in his second defense of all four titles, but he was knocked out in the 7th round. Ruiz was a 25-1 underdog by the boxing betting odds at some sites, making it one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
We saw Joshua win the rematch in Saudi Arabia six months later, and he knocked out Kubrat Pulev in December 2020. However, Joshua was dominated from start to finish by Oleksandr Usyk last September in London. Usyk won a unanimous decision 117-112, 116-112, and 115-113.
Usyk also won gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He started his professional career as a cruiserweight though and quickly established himself as an elite boxer. Usyk won the WBO cruiserweight belt in September 2016, and he added the IBF, WBA, and WBC cruiserweight titles by beating Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis, and Murat Gassiev to win the World Boxing Super Series.
The Ukrainian boxer defended those belts just once, knocking out Tony Bellew in the eighth round, before moving up to heavyweight. Usyk dominated Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora before earning a title shot against Joshua, and he took full advantage of the opportunity after a mega fight between Joshua and Tyson Fury fell through.
There are concerns about Usyk’s focus ahead of this fight as the rematch was nearly called off due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Usyk originally joined the fight as part of the Ukraine territorial defense forces but left to train for his rematch with Joshua a few months ago.
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