Anthony Joshua ‘Sharpening His Mind’ For Trickiest Ever Opponent Oleksandr Usyk

Anthony Joshua is gearing up for his trickiest fight yet.

Joshua will defend his heavyweight titles against Oleksandr Usyk on September 25 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

In Usyk, Joshua will face an opponent like no other who heavily relies on his footwork and draining volume to confuse and overwhelm his opponents.

The footwork in particular for Joshua, is what makes Usyk his trickiest opponent ever. That is why he is focusing on his mind going into the fight.

“100 per cent, he will be [the trickiest]. Movement means you are never stationery to get hit,” Joshua told Sky Sports. “Movement is important. Concentration – when you want to [punch], you lock in, then make a move. You have to make sure your brain works.

“That can be mentally fatiguing so I am sharpening the mind so that I can concentrate for the 12 rounds. Also I practice having the ability to [punch] four times, not just once. Concentrate, take your time, pin him down.

“It’s a fight for the brain. Knowing what you’ve got in front of you and knowing how to deal with it. You can either be aggressive, corner [him], throw everything at it. Or take your time, be clever, then knock [him] out.”

Joshua will naturally be the much bigger man in the ring. But despite the size and power advantage, he is trying to trim down to match the speed and conditioning of Usyk.

“I do look at my weight but I’m not trying to make weight because I’m a heavyweight,” he said. “I tailor my training. I am getting a lot of experience, I’ve been fighting good fighters for a long time, I’ve studied them and learned about their training camps.

“I’ve learned how to condition my body for specific fights. I’m looking trim for this fight. I’m fighting a guy who is a 12-round fighter. So it would be silly of me to go in there bulky with my muscles screaming for oxygen.

“I’ve been training like a 15-round fighter in this camp. I will be well-conditioned to fight. That is key. What happens when I train that way? My body adapts and takes its natural form. This is the form it has taken.”

Who do you have winning with just over a month to go?