The blue touchpaper will be lit when fellow power punchers Anthony Yarde and Artur Beterbiev clash for the latter’s IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight titles at the Wembley Arena in London on Saturday.
Despite having home advantage, the 31-year-old Yarde enters as a prohibitive underdog against the fearsome Russian champion. Beterbiev, 38, has never been defeated and has won all 18 of his bouts by knockout.
Yarde, however, remains unfazed ahead of the biggest challenge of his career to date.
“I’m not putting it in my head that it’s gonna be a hard fight, because, in this sport, you don’t know how it’s gonna go,” said a confident Yarde during a recent interview with BT Sport. “I’m not gonna dwell on things that can be negative towards me. Yes, he can punch hard, but so can I.
MORE: Sign up to watch Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde, exclusively on ESPN+
“I feel he gets hit, probably more than I do. We’re two different fighters. He’s never fought me and I’ve never fought him. With two big punchers, I feel that’s what makes this fight so exciting.”
Who is Anthony Yarde?
Yarde, a former footballer with limited amateur boxing experience, turned professional in May 2015. He quickly established himself as a knockout artist, winning 17 of his first 18 fights by stoppage, while collecting a variety of regional governing body titles.
In August 2019, Yarde ventured to Russia for a world title shot against seasoned champion Sergey Kovalev. Despite stunning Kovalev in a wild eighth round, the game Englishman came out on the wrong end of an 11th-round stoppage. However, the old axiom in boxing is that you learn more from defeat than you do from victory. Yarde was determined to regroup.
The Covid pandemic blunted the hard-hitting Londoner’s progress, and the tragic loss of his father and three grandparents to the disease was an enormous emotional burden. Yarde fought through the pain and continued with his career, but he didn’t have things all his own way.
Commonwealth champion Lyndon Arthur upset Yarde via split decision in December 2020. It was a crushing setback and the rematch was a must-win fight. Staged one year later, fight two was a completely different story. Yarde blasted Arthur out in four rounds to regain both his momentum and his position as the WBO’s mandatory challenger.
Who is Anthony Yarde fighting?
Beterbiev is one of the most formidable fighters in world boxing. He is the only active champion with a 100-percent knockout ratio, and he has the requisite skillset to set up his power punches.
His success began in the amateur ranks. Beterbiev captured two European gold medals, a World Championship gold medal, and he competed in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He exited the unpaid ranks with a 295-5 record, with two of those losses coming on points to future cruiserweight and heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.
When is Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde?
- Date: Saturday, January 28
- Main card: 2 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. GMT | 6 a.m. AEDT
- Main event: 5 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT
Beterbiev vs. Yarde takes place on January 28. The main card starts at 2 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. GMT | 6 a.m. AEDT. Both fighters should make their way to the ring around 5 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. GMT | 9 a.m. AEDT, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. Jan 28 | ESPN+ |
| United Kingdom | Sat. Jan 28 | BT Sport |
| Australia | Sun. Jan 29 | TBA |
In the United States, Beterbiev vs. Yarde is available on ESPN+.
In the U.K., the fight will be available to watch through BT Sport.
MORE: Sign up to watch Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde, exclusively on ESPN+
Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde price: How much does the card cost?
You can pay $9.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $99.99.
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
Where is Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde?
Beterbiev vs. Yarde takes place inside Wembley Arena in London. The arena can hold up to 12,500+ people.
Anthony Yarde record and bio
- Nationality: British
- Born: August 13, 1991
- Height: 5-11
- Reach: 72 inches
- Total fights: 25
- Record: 23-2 with 22 wins via knockout
MORE: All you need to know about Undisputed boxing game
Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde fight card
- Artur Beterbiev (c) vs. Anthony Yarde for the WBC, IBF, and WBO light-heavyweight titles
- Artem Dalakian (c) vs. David Jimenez for the WBA flyweight title
- Willy Hutchinson vs. Emil Markic for the WBO Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title
- Karol Itauma vs. Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna for the WBC International light-heavyweight title
- Charles Frankham vs. Joshua Ocampo; super-featherweights
- Umar Khan vs. Sandeep Singh Bhatti; featherweights
- Sean Noakes vs. Santiago Garces; welterweights
- Tommy Fletcher vs. Darryl Sharp; cruiserweights
