Top Rank Boxing on ESPN presented by AutoZone: Anderson vs. Rudenko will be presented live this Saturday, August 26, at 10:30 p.m. ET/ 7:30 p.m. PT, on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In the 10-round main event, Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson, fighting pride of Toledo, Ohio, will take on Ukrainian contender Andriy Rudenko.
Anderson (15-0, 14 KOs) debuted as a pro in 2019 and has developed into a top contender. He ended his first 14 fights in six rounds or less. The 23-year-old will make his third 2023 appearance less than two months after defeating former world champion Charles Martin in front of 7,234 hometown fans in his hometown.
Rudenko (35-6, 21 KOs) is a 39-year-old with more than 16 years of pro experience. He was 24-0 before losses to then-undefeated contenders Lucas Browne and Hughie Fury. In recent years, he has provided stern tests to some of the sport’s top big men.
In the 10 round co-feature, heavy-hitting Nigerian contender Efe Ajagba will take on unbeaten Kazakh southpaw Zhan Kossobutskiy. Ajagba (17-1, 13 KOs), a 2016 Olympian, has solidified himself as one of the division’s fiercest punchers. Kossobutskiy (19-0, 18 KOs) is a 34-year-old southpaw from Kostanay, Kazakhstan. He has only gone the distance once in his career, a six-round decision win over Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko in September 2018.
The undercard streams exclusively on ESPN+ at 6:50 p.m. ET / 3:50 p.m. PT.
ESPN’s Joe Tessitore will call the action with Hall of Famer, Timothy Bradley, Jr. Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna will serve as reporters.
Top Rank on ESPN Card
Heavyweight – Jared Anderson vs. Andriy Rudenko
Heavyweight – Efe Ajagba vs. Zhan Kossobutskiy
Featherweight – Bruce Carrington vs. Angel Antonio Contreras
Heavyweight – Jeremiah Milton vs. Craig Lewis
Middleweight – Nico Ali Walsh vs. Sona Akale
Lightweight – Abdullah Mason vs. Cesar Villarraga
Welterweight – Ablaikhan Zhussupov vs. Wiston Campos
Light Welterweight – Charly Suarez vs. Yohan Vasquez
Heavyweight – Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Onoriode Ehwarieme
