Zhilei Zhang believes that he will defeat Joseph Parker on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou.
The heavyweight is the WBO interim champion after beating Joe Joyce twice, and Parker is a former WBO champion himself.
Parker’s last fight was in Saudi Arabia at the Day of Reckoning with an impressive victory over Deontay Wilder in December, and he now has a chance to keep himself in the conversation for any future heavyweight title fights.
Speaking to Gambling.com, Chinese veteran Zhang believes he will win by stopping the New Zealander.
He said: “I really think my fight against Parker will be very exciting, and possibly the most exciting of the night.
“Under normal circumstances, our fight would be the main event. But these amazing cards in Saudi Arabia presented by His Excellency are so special, that I’m just happy to play a part in one of them.
“The fight against Parker will be very different than the fight against Joyce. My preparation, approach, and game plan will be different for Parker.
Parker performed great against Deontay Wilder and anything can happen in boxing. I am expecting a tough fight, but I think I will win by knockout for sure. I have the power to win in style.
Zhang also suggested that Wilder is a potential future opponent, adding: “I still think the fight with Wilder is a possibility for the future. He did not perform the way he can against Parker and only he can tell you why but a fight against Wilder would be a great fight and I am open to it.
“However, I didn’t know if Parker was going to be available in March. When I learned he was, I was excited for that opportunity, and the organisers and promoters wanted to make that fight.”
Live on DAZN: The 2024 NFL Playoffs, Jan. 13 - Jan. 28. Click here for details.