Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk ‘very difficult’ to stage in UK, Eddie Hearn admits

Saudi Arabia is emerging as the likeliest location for the heavyweight title rematch

Eddie Hearn has admitted it is unlikely that Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk will take place in the UK, as Saudi Arabia emerges as the frontrunner to host the heavyweight title bout.

Usyk outpointed Joshua at north London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September, taking the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles from the Briton in the process.

Joshua soon triggered a rematch clause to face the unbeaten Ukrainian again, though a second bout between the pair was almost thwarted by a step-aside deal and then Usyk’s return to his home country amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.

The step-aside deal for Usyk to face WBC champion Tyson Fury fell through at the start of the year, reportedly due to Joshua’s monetary demands, before Usyk returned to Ukraine in March to aid his nation’s defence against the Russian invasion. The southpaw later confirmed, however, that he would leave the country to begin preparing for a rematch with “AJ”.

Joshua’s promoter Hearn had long said the UK and Saudi Arabia were the locations most likely to host the fight, but now the Matchroom chief has poured cold water on the prospect of the contest taking place on home soil for Joshua.

“If contracts and site fees that have been offered come to fruition, it would make going to the UK very difficult for us to get Usyk to do, quite frankly,” Hearn told the Mirror.

“We can see it from their point of view: ‘Why would I bother going back to England for half the money?’

Sky Sports, DAZN and other broadcasters will be vying to screen Anthony Joshua’s next fight, according to Eddie Hearn (Simon Marper/PA) (PA Wire)

“We can’t take a site that pays significantly less to Usyk. We want to go to London, it would be a big advantage for AJ to take this fight back to London, but if a site fee generates double the money, there’s no way Usyk will allow us to go to London.

“So, we do have to take that into consideration, but AJ just wants to fight.”

Hearn has also said that an exact location and date for the bout will be announced this month, with July now seeming likely.

Joshua, 32, is 24-2 with 22 knockouts to his name, while former cruiserweight champion Usyk is 19-0 with 13 KOs.

In his rematch with Usyk, Joshua will look to again avenge a defeat, having done so in 2019 when he outpointed Andy Ruiz Jr six months after being stopped by the Mexican-American.