It’s part two of the “Cleganebowl.” Well, sort of.
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson—the strongman who famously played Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane on the HBO series “Game of Thrones”—is scheduled to fight Irish boxer Steven Ward in an exhibition match on Jan. 15 in Dubai.
The Sun reports that the fight was originally meant to take place in Björnsson’s home turf of Iceland but was moved to the Middle East due to the country’s coronavirus restrictions.
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson—who stands at six-foot-nine and weighs 452 pounds—holds a world record in deadlifting after he managed to fully pick up weights totaling 1,104 pounds. He (unsurprisingly) holds several “Strongest Man” titles, and has won gold at the Arnold Strongman Classic for the past three consecutive years.
Regardless, LADbible states that Ward will most likely be able to give Björnsson a run for his money. The Belfast native has a boxing career which boasts a record of only one loss, 13 wins, and the WBO Intercontinental Champion Ward title.
“It is a bit left-field, but when the opportunity was put to. Me I said yes,” said Ward of the match to Belfast Live. “Boxing in the current climate is difficult, and getting fights is tough.”
Björnsson is reportedly fighting Ward in order to prepare for his match against Eddie “The Beast” Hall in Las Vegas, Nev. The fight, deemed “the heaviest boxing match in history,” is scheduled to take place in September 2021.
Audiences will be able to watch the fight on Björnsson’s YouTube channel or Twitch account on Jan .16.
