Anthony ‘The Beast’ Yarde (22-2) is set to have his second shot at world honours as a clash between himself and IBF, WBC and WBO world light heavyweight Artur Beterbiev (18-0) is set to be announced this Saturday, if Yarde is to beat Stefani Koykov in Telford.
‘The Beast’ was set to clash with Beterbiev in October, although not formally announced. However, an undisclosed injury to the champion saw the bout get postponed.
According to BoxingScene, the fight is now pencilled in to take place at the OVO Arena, Wembley in London on January 28th but Yarde must pass his test against Koykov on the undercard of Liam Davies vs Ionut Baluta this Saturday at the Telford International Arena.
‘The Beast’ had a shot at the WBO title back in 2019 but was dealt his first loss in a spirited effort against Sergey Kovalev.
Last time out, Yarde avenged the second loss of his career, as he knocked Lyndon Arthur out in four rounds in a rematch where ‘The Beast’ proved that he still carries power and this win saw Yarde rise up the WBO rankings.
Beterbiev is the only world champion with a 100% knockout ratio, as he has knocked out all 18 of his opponents and picked up three world titles along the way.
Last time out, Beterbiev displayed his freakish power by adding the WBO title to his collection and stopping Joe Smith Jr in two rounds back in June.
Yarde’s reported date with destiny is currently in his hands, but he must defeat Koykov, who has picked up 12 wins on the bounce since his only defeat in 2019, this Saturday, and it can be watched live on BT Sport in the UK and ESPN+ in the US.