Oleksandr Usyk Vs. Anthony Joshua II Could Be In Saudi Arabia

Talks for the contracted rematch between world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and former champion Anthony Joshua are continuing to make progress.

Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk told Sky Sports that the bout is likely to take place in June and one of the locations being considered is Saudi Arabia.

“[Saudi Arabia] is under discussion at the moment,” Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk told Sky Sports.

“Late June is also the timing we are considering now. Many things will depend on how fast we manage to ink the papers. The good thing is that Usyk is already in Europe to start his preparation.”

If Saudi Arabia gets picked to stage the fight, it won’t be unfamiliar grounds for Joshua. The former four-belt champion rematched Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia in December 2019. He got revenge thanks to a 12-round unanimous decision.

Usyk recently left his war-torn country of Ukraine to start his training camp.

The rematch was originally scheduled for April, but after failed step-aside deals offered to Joshua by Tyson Fury’s team and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, that date was pushed back.

The winner of the fight could be in line for a unification battle with the winner of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte.