Anthony Joshua will beat Oleksandr Usyk inside seven rounds, predicts Dillian Whyte

Whyte was knocked out by Joshua in 2015

Dillian Whyte (right) has predicted that Anthony Joshua will stop Oleksandr Usyk (Getty Images)

Dillian Whyte has tipped Anthony Joshua to win his heavyweight battle with Oleskandr Usyk inside seven rounds.

The interim WBC heavyweight champion believes that Usyk will be no match for Joshua if ‘AJ’ fights with confidence at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Whyte was beaten by Joshua in the seventh round of their meeting in December 2015.

“[Anthony] Joshua will stop him in the first five, six, or seven rounds,” Whyte forecasted on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Usyk will start fast, and Joshua will be a bit cagey because he’s a southpaw, and he’s lighter. Joshua also lacks confidence sometimes in fights where he can get caught up.

“Hopefully, he goes back to his old self and starts pressing Usyk and being the bigger, stronger guy and starts backing him up and hitting him with stuff.”

Usyk has stepped up from the cruiserweight class after becoming the first fighter in history to hold all four major world championships at that weight.

The Ukrainian is undefeated as a professional and also secured an Olympic gold medal at London 2012.

Whyte suggested Joshua should not try and out-box Usyk but instead try to achieve his victory early in the fight.

“I think he can get the job done early,” Whyte continued. “Usyk is a good southpaw, but he’s an aggressive southpaw as well. He likes to press the fight, but Joshua has height and reach, and power.

“If Joshua wants to set the pace, he can get an early knockout. But if he wants to prove who’s the better boxer, I think he’ll struggle.”