Oleksandr Usyk ensures Anthony Joshua fight will be free to watch in Ukraine

Usyk reportedly tried to buy TV rights in his home country, before the rematch’s host nation Saudi Arabia gifted them to the heavyweight champion

Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Anthony Joshua will reportedly be free to watch in Ukraine.

Unbeaten Ukrainian Usyk outpointed Joshua in London last September, taking the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles from the Briton in the process.

The pair will go head to head again on 20 August, as Joshua looks to regain the belts from Usyk in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk told talkSPORT on Thursday that the rematch will be free to watch in Ukraine on state TV, the Megogo platform, and Usyk’s YouTube channel.

Per Krassyuk, Usyk tried to buy the rights to air the fight in his native Ukraine, which has been under invasion from Russia since February, and the rights were subsequently gifted to the southpaw by the relevant decision-makers in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk, 35, returned to Ukraine earlier this year to aid nis nation’s defence against the ongoing Russian invasion, before leaving to begin training for his rematch with Joshua, 32.

Joshua’s loss to fellow Olympic gold medalist Usyk was the second defeat of “AJ”’s professional career, following his stoppage loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019.

Joshua avenged that defeat by outpointing the Mexican-American in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the end of that year, regaining the heavyweight titles that he later dropped to Usyk.