Anthony Joshua has been backed to defeat Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch later this year. That’s the opinion of Israel Adesanya, the UFC middleweight champion who recently retained his title with victory over Robert Whittaker.
Joshua is expected to face Usyk at some point in 2022 in one of boxing’s most eagerly anticipated battles. Last September, the Ukranian produced a brilliant performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to relieve ‘AJ’ of his world titles.
Speculation has centred on a number of possible scenarios in recent months with the heavyweight title picture featuring a number of stars including Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte. With those set to meet in spring, the path is clear for Joshua to face Usyk, and Adesanya is backing the 2012 Olympic gold medallist to reclaim his titles.
“Anthony is a formidable guy,” said Adesanya when speaking to assembled media during his fight week with Whittaker.
“Usyk is a phenomenal guy. Wow, amazing. I believe that anybody can beat anybody on any given night, and I always root for my people.”