Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury undercard has late change as undefeated boxer added after failed drugs test

Undefeated Welsh boxer Rhys Edwards will now face Peter McGrail on the the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk undercard.

McGrail was already scheduled to fight on the card against Dennis McCann, but McCann was removed after failing a pre-fight drugs test with an adverse finding discovered.

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It appeared the fight had been cancelled entirely, but it has now been saved with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh confirming Edwards will step in at short notice to face McGrail instead.

The Welshman will put his perfect 16-0 [4 KOs] record on the line on just a week’s notice, a sign he is willing to fight the best at any time offered.

Alalshikh confirmed the news on social media, tweeting: “It is now confirmed that Peter McGrail will stay on this Saturday’s card to face unbeaten British Contender Rhys Edwards as part of the #UsykFury rematch undercard.”

Edwards will be a tricky customer for McGrail to deal with, given he has a series of impressive wins over the likes of Brad Foster and Thomas Patrick Ward on his resume.

He is a slick-moving and highly skilled boxer, and will be a stern test of McGrail’s credentials.

McGrail himself is looking to continue to get his career back on track with a third consecutive win.

The Liverpool native was beaten by Ja’Rico O’Quinn in a stunning defeat in December last year, but has since bounced back with victories over Marc Leach and Brad Foster.

A win for Edwards could change the trajectory of his career, particularly given he already has a fight pencilled in against Leon Woodstock on January 11.

It will be a huge platform for the pair to show off their talent, with millions of eyes expected on the hotly-anticipated main event.

Fury and Usyk will renew their rivalry, six months on from their undisputed title fight in May which saw the Ukrainian’s hand raised by split decision.

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The pair will now meet for the unified titles held by Usyk, with the IBF belt no longer on the line as he was forced to vacate it before it was won by Daniel Dubois.

Fury is gunning for revenge and has been locked in an arduous training camp in Malta, a contrast to his disrupted preparations for their first duel.

He is expected to make adjustments to try and secure his redemption, and already looks to have piled on weight having shown off a bulkier physique.

Lennox Lewis, a former undisputed heavyweight champion himself in 1999, anticipates Fury will make the changes needed but has predicted Usyk will prevail once again.

He said: “It’s going to be a tough fight for both guys. It’s going to be mentally tough, it’s going to be physically tough.

“They’re going to push each other on the mental basis far, they’re going to push each other physically far. Both guys want to win this fight.

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“Both guys want something from this and it’s going to be a mental challenge and a physical challenge.

“I think it’s going to be a banger, it’s going to be a serious fight, one guy was more serious than the other guy [in the first fight] — you could say Tyson Fury lost that fight and Usyk won it.

“Now it’s a situation where they’re having another fight, Tyson Fury has to win that fight so he’s going to be more focused, he’s going to put a little bit more weight on to get through this fight and he’s a lot more serious.

“But I cannot go against Usyk. Oleksandr Usyk has proven himself time and time again, and he’s still undefeated.”

talkSPORT will bring you live commentary of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday, December 21 with our coverage kicking off from 7.30pm