A Game of Thrones man-mountain known as ‘The Beast’ is ready to take on a boxer on Saturday despite a weight advantage of 127 pounds.
This weekend will see the highly-anticipated exhibition bout between ex-WBO European light-heavyweight champion Steven Ward and former World’s Strongest Man Hafthor Bjornsson – and here’s everything you need to know ahead of the showdown.
The two men meet over 3 x 3-minute rounds at the sold out Conrad Dubai.
Any viewers worldwide can watch the bout on Core Sports World on Saturday at around 4:30 pm GMT (8:30 pm local time).
Ward and Bjornsson had their weigh-in on Thursday, with Ward standing 6’2″ and weighing 98.6kg (217lbs), while Bjornsson stands 6’9″ and weighed 156.2kg (344lbs), giving Thor almost a 130lb weight advantage.
The event is taking place thanks to the superb work from the Dubai Government. Also, the Dubai Sports Council and the DTCM.
Their proactive approach to safety measures and protocols makes them a shining example of how things should be done international stage.
Their tremendous dedication has seen Dubai become one of the global leaders in this department.
The event has followed all of the essential safety measures to ensure it is as safe as possible.
The fighters have been placed in a bubble-like environment. Regular PCR testing, strict access, social distancing, the wearing of masks, sterilization processes, and more all followed.
Bjornsson has become one of the most recognizable men on the planet in recent years after winning the 2018 World’s Strongest Man, 2018 World’s Ultimate Strongman, 2018 to 2020 Arnold Strongman Classic Iceland’s Strongest Man every year from 2011 to 2020.
GAME OF THRONES
He is also known for playing Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane in the critically acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones.
He is set to take on strongmen rival Eddie Hall in a fight being dubbed as ‘The Heaviest Boxing Match of All Time’ later this year. It also sees MTK Global working with CoreSports official boxing advisors for the clash.
Before Bjornsson turns his attention to the fight with Hall in September 2021, he will get some rounds under his belt when he first meets Ward in this weekend’s intriguing battle.
Ward has a professional boxing record of 13 wins and just one defeat. He won the WBO European light-heavyweight title against Liam Conroy in June 2019.
The two men were involved in a contest that many fans deemed the Fight of the Year. He has since moved up to cruiserweight. Ward defeated Jone Volau in September.
Along with the Steven Ward vs. Hafthor Bjornsson extravaganza, there is also a packed undercard. It includes undefeated sensation Rohan Date, scheduled to face Moaz Allam.
Colm Murphy meets Ali Bassam. Vladan Babic faces Iurii Nepliuiev. Stephane Fondjo goes up against Timur Abdumalikovich Umarov. Furthermore, Aaron Bickerstaff squares off with Jamie King.
A star-studded team is set to call the event topped by the Game of Thrones star. MMMA legend Bas Rutten and Chris Lloyd offering their expert analysis.
