Oleksandr Usyk reveals he is a bit heavier for crunch rematch with Anthony Joshua this weekend

Oleksandr Usyk has revealed that he is heavier heading into his crunch rematch with Anthony Joshua than he was in the first fight.

The pair will go toe-to-toe for the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Usyk produced a shock last September as he defeated Joshua with a clear unanimous decision win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

There were question marks over the Ukrainian’s capability of stepping up to the bigger weight due to his smaller frame ahead of the victory.

And the heavyweight champions has hinted that he is coming into the rematch heavier. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Usyk said: ‘I will not tell you much about my strategy. I am a bit heavier than I was last time.

‘I’m not sure the weight I’m going to be walking to the ring, we’re going to see it on Friday [at the weigh-in].

‘I’m not a big forecaster. You’ll see Saturday night, I’ll just do my job, what I have to do.’

The 35-year-old weighed in at just over 221lb for his last fight with Joshua, while the Watford native was 240lb for the first bout.

Usyk had struggled to impose himself against Derek Chisora and Chazz Witherspoon in his first two efforts at heavyweight, but the former undisputed cruiserweight champion had no qualms with the step up against Joshua.

And the Ukrainian has stated that he wants to win the rematch for his homeland amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

Usyk said: ‘It’s important because the war is taking place and we have to help people.

‘Whether they need food, we supply them with food. Whether they need anything else, we have to help them.

‘Because this is something that is happening in our hearts and our assignment is to keep positive and keep other people positive.’