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Joshua Buatsi and Craig Richards will fight for 10 rounds in London, England, this Saturday. Both men are former British Light Heavyweight Champions. The bout will serve as an eliminator fight for the WBA Light Heavyweight Title.
Joshua Buatsi has a record of 15-0-0 with 13 knockouts, while Craig Richards has a record of 17-2-1 with 10 knockouts. In 2021, Richards challenged current WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol for his belt, but lost the bout via unanimous decision.
Buatsi has stated that he believes himself to be a class above Richards. Nevertheless, the fight will likely be the hardest of his career.
Buatsi recently told DAZN News that he is the best light heavyweight in the country, and that the upcoming bout will be the first step to proving it:
"I am the best in the country. The truth is though, we haven’t fought each other. Spider is the first light-heavyweight in Britain that I am boxing, so from there I can make a point of it."
He then predicted a dominant performance over Richards:
"I am better than him 100 per cent... when I fight, it’s straight violence. I carry myself in a certain way, but when I get in the ring, it’s straight violence."
Joshua Buatsi is the favorite in the upcoming bout
Joshua Buatsi is the betting favorite in the upcoming bout, although Craig Richards, who is four years older, has more experience in the ring.
Buatsi was born in Ghana and moved to England at a young age. He represented Great Britain at the 2016 Olympics, where he won a bronze medal. As an amateur, he was also a two-time national champion.
After turning professional in 2017, Buatsi won six consecutive bouts before earning a shot at a vacant international belt. He beat Andrejs Pokumeikoin in 2018 to claim the WBA International Light Heavyweight Title.
After claiming the WBA title, Buatsi successfully defended it six times. He also won a British title by stopping Liam Conroy in 2019. His most recent bout was opposite Ričards Bolotņiks in August 2021. Buatsi stopped the Latvian light heavyweight in the 11th round of their bout.
Richards has already challenged for a world title. If he defeats Buatsi, he may earn a shot at a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, who just successfully defended his title against pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez.
