The heavyweight action continues on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT with a double-header. First up is Anderson (15-0, 14 KOs), who’s back in the ring less than two months after his triumphant Toledo homecoming, ready to rumble with Rudenko (35-6, 21 KOs) in a 10-round bout. Then, top contender Efe Ajagba (17-1, 13 KOs) looks to stop the unbeaten southpaw train of Zhan Kossobutskiy (19-0, 18 KOs) in another 10-round clash.
Anderson, who went pro in 2019, quickly established himself as a major player. He’s finished his first 14 fights within six rounds or less, racking up KOs against Jerry Forrest and undefeated boxers George Arias and Vladimir Tereshkin. On July 1, he headlined in Toledo for the first time, earning a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Martin. With rankings of 7th and 9th by the WBO and WBC respectively, Anderson is geared up to take on the division’s elite.
Jared Anderson vs. Andriy Rudenko start time
- Date : Saturday, August 26
- Time : 10.30 p.m. ET / 3.30 a.m. BST
- The fight will take place at the Hard Rock Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- The fight will be available LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.
- Sky Sports will broadcast the fight in the UK.
The pugilistic festivities then head to Oklahoma for the undercard of the Jared Anderson-Andriy Rudenko heavyweight main event at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Starting at 6:50 p.m. ET/3:50 p.m. PT on ESPN+, undefeated prospects will enter the squared circle, featuring Brooklyn-born featherweight sensation Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (8-0, 5 KOs) in an eight-round battle, Tulsa’s own heavyweight Jeremiah Milton (10-0, 7 KOs) squaring off against Craig Lewis (15-6-1, 8 KOs), and middleweight Nico Ali Walsh (8-0-1, 5 KOs) stepping up against Sona Akale (7-1, 4 KOs).
Rudenko (35-6, 21 KOs), a seasoned boxer at 39, boasts over 16 years of pro experience. He held a 24-0 record before falling to unbeaten contenders Lucas Browne and Hughie Fury. Rudenko bounced back with seven straight wins, earning his first regional title. Recently, he’s proven a tough competitor for the division’s top names, albeit losing in decisions to former world champ Alexander Povetkin, current European champ Agit Kabayel, and top contender Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang.
Rudenko sees this as a massive opportunity, claiming, “I’m heading to Tulsa with the intent to shake things up. This fight is for the people of Ukraine, and I’m excited to show everyone that I’ve still got the firepower to compete at the highest level.”
Jared Anderson vs. Andriy Rudenko fight card
- Jared Anderson vs. Andriy Rudenko; Heavyweight
- Efe Ajagba vs. Zhan Kossobutskiy; Heavyweight
- Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Onoriode Ehwarieme; Heavyweight
- Charly Suarez vs. Yohan Vasquez; Super-featherweight
- Nico Ali Walsh vs. Sona Akale; Middleweight
- Bruce Carrington vs. Angel Contreras; Featherweight
- Jeremiah Milton vs. Craig Lewis; Heavyweight
- Ablaikhan Zhussupov vs. Wiston Campos; Welterweight
- Abdullah Mason vs. Cesar Villarraga; Lightweight