Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, individuals familiar with one another, continue their rivalry on August 12 with both looking to make a statement within the crowded heavyweight division. It is the second time the two will fight one another inside the O2, dating back to when Joshua (15-0, 15 KOs) beat Whyte 29-3 (19 KOs) via TKO for the British heavyweight title in 2015. It was a brilliant comeback performance by Joshua, who regained his composure after being roughed up by Whyte earlier in the fight. Joshua landed hard blows before putting Whyte through the ropes in the seventh round. The 33-year-old has gone 3-3 in his last six, losing his status as the champion against Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oleksandr Usyk. AJ rebounded in his last fight against Jermaine Franklin in April. Now, he looks to work his way back to title contention while taking out a fierce rival one and for all. Whyte, who beat Joshua at the amateur level in 2009, won eleven in a row following the Joshua loss, eventually winning the British belt and the interim WBC heavyweight title. He is 2-2 in his last four bouts, losing against Tyson Fury for the WBC heavyweight title in April 2022. The 35-year-old rebounded in his last fight in November, beating Franklin via what many call a controversial majority decision win. With the heavyweight division getting younger, Whyte looks to remain a consistent threat, especially against Joshua.The card will stream live on DAZN in over 200 countries across the globe.
Emanuel Navarrete will defend his WBO junior lightweight title against Oscar Valdez on August 12 in Glendale, Arizona. The bout was scheduled to take place on Feb. 3 for the title vacated by Shakur Stevenson before Valdez withdrew because of a lingering rib injury. Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs) faced replacement opponent Liam Wilson in February and rallied from a fourth-round knockdown to score a ninth-round TKO victory in one of the best fights this year. The win made Navarrete a three-division champion. The 28-year-old Mexican Oscar Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) also captured titles at 122 and 126 pounds. Valdez won titles at 126 pounds and 130 and is a two-time Olympian. He's regarded as one of the best action fighters in boxing. The fight will be streamed live on ESPN
YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul and former UFC bad boy Nate Diaz will ultimately battle it out in a 10 round boxing match scheduled on Aug. 5 from the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The bout will be contested at 185 pounds. There has been some back-and-forth between the two fighters over the number of rounds after the bout was initially scheduled for 8 rounds which has now been confirmed as a 10 round fight. This event is a 50-50 collaboration between Paul's Most Valuable Promotions and Diaz's Real Fight Inc. It will be the first time Diaz has ever promoted himself, the first time he will fight outside the UFC in 15 years and his first career pro boxing match. Diaz has competed in some of the biggest pay-per-view events in UFC history, and Paul has made a name for himself as a boxing draw despite his experience level. Diaz (21-13) fought out his UFC contract with a submission win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September. The Stockton, California, native handed Conor McGregor his first UFC loss back in 2016. Diaz, 37, has headlined 10 UFC events and won The Ultimate Fighter 5 tournament in 2007. He's one of the most popular fighters in MMA history and is a former sparring partner of top boxer Andre Ward. The pay-per-view bout will be distributed globally by DAZN.
BOXING fans are in for a treat as welterweight superstars Errol Spence and Terence Crawford will face off in a huge fight this summer. Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford officially struck an agreement on the super-fight that boxing fans have been desperate to see. They will square off on July 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Crawford is unbeaten in 39 fights with 30 knockouts. He scored a sixth-round knockout of David Avanesyan when he last stepped into the ring last December. It was his sixth straight successful WBO welterweight title defence. Spence is also unbeaten at 28-0 with 22 knockouts. His last bout was a 10th-round TKO of Yordenis Ugás in April 2022. This will not only be the most anticipated boxing event of the year, but it could also help to define the respective stars' legacies. Enjoy this historical clash on Showtime PPV