Joyce misses out on heavyweight title shot as Gassiev opponent confirmed

Murat Gassiev had been scheduled to face Tony Yoka before the Frenchman pulled out with injury; Gassiev will instead make the first defence of his WBA title against Germany's Peter Kadiru; Britain's Joe Joyce, who fights on the undercard, had been touted as a possible stand-in option

>Murat Gassiev's first defence of his WBA heavyweight title will go ahead on Saturday after a replacement opponent was found for the Russian.

>Gassiev, who was elevated from regular to full WBA champion status after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt last month, had been scheduled to face Tony Yoka before the Frenchman dropped out with a back injury.

>After speculation that Britain's Joe Joyce, who is also fighting on the IBA Pro 19 bill in Moscow, could get a title opportunity, Germany's Peter Kadiru has ultimately been given the opportunity to face Gassiev.

>Gassiev, who holds a 33-2 professional record with 26 knockouts, said: "I was fully prepared and ready for Tony Yoka, but boxing is unpredictable and champions must adapt.

>"Peter Kadiru is a big, strong, experienced fighter with a solid amateur pedigree and real power. Fighting at home in Moscow in front of my Russian fans for my first defence is special."

>Kadiru holds a 23-1 record, having amassed nine successive victories since the sole defeat of his professional career in 2022.

>The most recent of those was a unanimous decision victory over Senad Gashi in May.

>Boxing schedule 2026: When are the big fights?

>Stream boxing and more contract-free with NOW

>Kadiru said: "Since my win over Senad Gashi, I've been in the gym training and wanting to be back in the ring. I'm excited for the opportunity to travel to Russia and challenge for the WBA Heavyweight World Title on July 11.

>"This is my moment. My team and I are locked in and Moscow should get ready for a big performance."

>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

>Joyce, who fights Artem Suslenkov on the undercard, had been touted as a potential opponent for Gassiev, but misses out on a world title shot.

>The 40-year-old has lost four of his last five fights and faces a dangerous opponent in the unbeaten Suslenkov.

>The division was blown wide open by Usyk vacating his WBC, WBA and IBF titles in June, despite the Ukrainian insisting he has not retired from the sport.

>Britain's Daniel Dubois holds the WBO title that also previously belonged to Usyk, while Agit Kabayel has inherited the WBC belt.