Anthony Joshua feels he is in a must-win fight in Usyk rematch

Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua feels he is in a must-win situation when he takes on the WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch this weekend, August 20 at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia.

The pair first met in September last year, when Usyk challenged for Joshua’s then heavyweight world titles. Both fighters fought with all they got for twelve rounds, and in the end, Usyk emerged victorious via unanimous decision.

“It's a must-win fight. Preparations have been tough, but I like the pressure,” Joshua said during the pre-fight press conference.

“Robert Garcia, Angel Fernandez, members of my previous team as well — they’ve been pushing me, challenging me, ensuring I stay focused, and positioning me to get the job done and emerge victorious come Saturday night.”

Usyk, meanwhile, predicts a fight with epic proportions in his second dance with Joshua.

“We learned from each other in the first fight, but this is a continuation and the first round on Saturday will be round 13. We had enough time to study each other. We were born to compete for life, for belts, for everything,” Usyk stated.

“The one who does not compete does not win. All our lives are competitions for something or somebody. That’s why we are competing. We’ve had enough time to study each other and this Saturday will be a great, great fight.” — LA, GMA News