Anderson vs Kossobutskiy will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
A heavyweight showdown awaits on July 1, as Toledo’s own Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson returns to his hometown for the first time as a pro to face Kazakhstan’s Zhan Kossobutskiy in a 10-round main event at the Huntington Center. Anderson, who holds the NABF Junior heavyweight title, will look to extend his perfect knockout streak against Kossobutskiy, who has only one decision win in his 19-fight career.
The fight will take place on the eve of Independence Day weekend, almost 104 years after Jack Dempsey’s historic knockout of Jess Willard in Toledo’s Bay View Park on July 4, 1919. Dempsey’s victory marked the beginning of his legendary reign as heavyweight champion, and Anderson hopes to follow in his footsteps with a statement win in front of his home fans.
The co-feature will also feature a pair of unbeaten heavyweights, as Arslanbek Makhmudov of Montreal clashes with Nigeria’s Raphael Akpejiori in a 10-round bout. Makhmudov and Akpejiori have a combined record of 32-0 with 31 knockouts, making this a must-see matchup for fans of explosive power.
Jared Anderson, the rising American heavyweight star, will face his toughest test to date when he takes on Zhan Kossobutskiy, the unbeaten knockout artist from Kazakhstan, in a 10-round bout on July 1st at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. The fight will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN, starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Anderson (14-0, 14 KOs) is one of the most exciting prospects in the sport. He turned pro in 2019 and has been unstoppable ever since, stopping all of his opponents inside six rounds. He has also earned praise for his role as Tyson Fury’s main sparring partner for his trilogy with Deontay Wilder. In his last outing, he dominated and stopped then-undefeated George Arias in three rounds to retain his NABF Junior heavyweight title and win the vacant WBC International heavyweight title.
Kossobutskiy (19-0, 18 KOs) is a 34-year-old southpaw who has been equally impressive in his professional career. He has only gone the distance once, and has knocked out some notable names such as Onorede Ehwareme, Joey Dawejko, Johann Duhaupas and Hussein Muhamed. He is currently ranked No. 5 by the WBC and No. 6 by the WBO, and is looking to make a statement against Anderson.