Usyk v Joshua odds
A huge heavyweight clash takes place in Jeddah on Saturday night as Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua meet for the second time with five world titles on the line.
The pair first met in September 2021 when Joshua – the unified heavyweight world champion heading into that bout – lost his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts via unanimous decision.
It was a masterclass from the Ukrainian, who was previously the undisputed cruiserweight world champion before he stepped up to heavyweight.
The 35-year-old will defend all those titles in the rematch this weekend, with the vacant The Ring title also up for grabs following previous holder Tyson Fury’s retirement just a few days ago.
Whether Fury remains retired remains to be seen. For now, though, Usyk and Joshua are arguably the two best active heavyweights in the world.
Saturday night’s winner can claim to be the current heavyweight king, and will have a clear path to becoming the undisputed champion.
Usyk is the favourite, priced at 8/15 to retain his belts.
Joshua, meanwhile, is the 13/8 underdog as he attempts to gain revenge and become a three-time world champion.
Usyk v Joshua prediction
Usyk went into his first fight with Joshua as a 2/1 underdog, but the Ukrainian totally outclassed the Englishman at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the way to a victory that was more one-sided than the scorecards suggested.
It was a statement performance that cemented his place as an elite heavyweight, and once again called into question Joshua’s ability to beat the best of the best.
The Watford man had previously suffered a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz in July 2019, which he avenged later that year but remains a blemish on his record. Ruiz was slicker than Joshua in the toe-to-toe exchanges, and exposed the Englishman’s chin with a seventh-round TKO.
The defeat to Usyk followed a similar pattern. Joshua had no answer for his speed, footwork and pressure, and looked out on his feet before the 12th round.
Joshua has since made major changes to his camp and brought in Robert Garcia to be his new trainer, but it’s hard to see him bridging what appeared to be a gulf between the two fighters on that night.
AJ has the power to trouble any fighter on the planet and showed in his rematch against Ruiz that he can box patiently from the outside and grind his way to a win on points, but Usyk is clearly a few levels above the Mexican. He’s never been beaten or even troubled in 19 professional fights, following a stellar 335-15 amateur career.
Another win for the champion looks the best bet here, and there’s a good chance it ends within the distance given the problems with Joshua’s chin and stamina.
BEST BET
Usyk to win by KO/TKO/DQ 2/1
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