Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will fight the Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev on October 28 in Cardiff for the IBF world heavyweight title.
The 27 year old Briton, who’s undefeated in 19 fights and holds the WBA, IBO and IBF titles, must face Pulev since before December 2 since he’s the mandatory challenger for the IBF belt.
36-year-old Pulev, who has only one loss in his 26 fights, announced the fight will take place next month and claims Joshua has “no chance” against him.
He wrote on his official Facebook page today: “Anthony Joshua is a great and dangerous rival, but his style fits perfectly with mine.
“In boxing, the boxers’ styles dictate the match and there’ll be not many hugs, there will be a heavy boxing.
“My preparations go very intensely because of the short time I have, and I will be perfectly ready when I get into the ring so that he has no chance against me.”
AJ, who boasts 19 knockouts in 19 fights, beat Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley last April, knocking the Ukrainian out in the 11th round, and was due for a rematch but Klitschko retired last month.
But now he will face Pulev at the Principality Stadium next month.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said: “Pulev’s got to be happy with the situation, it’s eight weeks on Saturday which gives both guys more than enough time.”
Pulev is one of Bulgaria’s most popular sportsmen and turned professional at the age of 28 in September 2009 which was only less than a year after winning the European amateur boxing title in Liverpool.
Between 2012 and 2016, he held the European heavyweight title twice and he has challenged once for the unified world heavyweight title in 2014 where he lost to Klitschko in Hamburg on a fifth-round knockout.
But since then has gone on to beat Britain’s Dereck Chisora and American Kevin Johnson.
