Ivan Dychko Aims for Heavyweight Glory in Bournemouth Against Harvey Dykes
Ivan Dychko, Anthony Joshua’s former Olympic rival, is poised to make his UK professional debut in Bournemouth this Saturday, aiming to become Kazakhstan’s first heavyweight world champion. Dychko will face unbeaten English heavyweight Harvey Dykes at the Bournemouth International Centre, with the bout broadcast live on Sky Sports. This match marks Dychko's first appearance on UK soil since his narrow loss to Joshua during the semi-finals of the London 2012 Olympics. Throughout his impressive amateur career, Dychko has defeated notable fighters like Filip Hrgovic, Bakhodir Jalolov, and Zhilei Zhang. Despite suffering a setback against Jermaine Franklin Jr. in September, he remains optimistic about bouncing back and handing Dykes his first professional defeat. Dychko expressed his ambition, stating, "Of course, I want to be world champion. I want to see my name in boxing history." He emphasized the importance of his amateur experience in shaping his professional strategy, noting, "I have my strategy - you will see!" Additionally, Dychko shared his thoughts on a potential showdown between Joshua and Tyson Fury, predicting that Fury could win by decision, but Joshua possesses the knockout power to secure a TKO victory. The undercard features promising talents like Leon Hughes, who aims to maintain his unbeaten record against Mario Vergiev, and a welterweight contest between Alex MacMillan and Leo Fanthome.
Source: Sky Sports - 2026-06-04