Undefeated British light heavyweight standout Anthony Yarde will step up to fight WBO champion Sergey Kovalev in Russia live on Saturday, August 24 at the Traktor Arena in Chelyabinsk, Russia on ESPN+ streaming service.
Unbeaten cruiserweight contender Aleksei Papin (11-0, 10 KOs) will take on former world title challenger Ilunga Makabu (25-2, 24 KOs) in the co-feature.
Sergey Kovalev (33-3-1, 28 KOs) is one of the hardest punchers in the division, and he will take on a young hungry challenger who is also known for his power in front of his hometown fans.
Kovalev, 36, is best known for this fights with Bernard Hopkins and Andre Ward, he was written off after losing to Eleider Alvarez by stoppage but bounced back to regain the WBO title by beating Alvarez in a unanimous decision in February.
The 28-year-old Anthony Yarde (18-0, 17 KOs) is one of the exciting young fighters out of the UK, and his promoter Frank Warren believes he is ready to fight for the world title against the top dog of the division.
This is a huge challenge for Yarde, he is also fighting in the hometown of Kovalev which will make it even harder to win a decision. His goal is to knockout Kovalev and to leave no doubt on the outcome.
This fight will truly be a battle between two punchers. Kovalev’s experience versus the youth and explosiveness of Yarde will be the talk leading up to the fight.
If Kovalev wins he will show he can still hang with the young lions, for Yarde a win will skyrocket him into superstar status in the UK and make the boxing world take notice that he is the real deal.
Watch the Kovalev vs. Yarde LIVE STREAM from Russia Saturday, August 24, 2019 starting at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT on ESPN+. US viewers can sign up at ESPNplus.com or watch on the ESPN App.
