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Mike Coppinger, ESPN
Deontay Wilder and Jiray Zhang are in the process of finalizing a deal for a June 1 bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sources told ESPN.
A heavyweight showdown between two of boxing's most dangerous punchers will take place on the undercard of the undisputed light heavyweight championship bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Wilder and Zhang will step into the ring in search of a desperate victory to remain relevant in boxing's glamorous division. Both fighters are reeling from decision losses to Joseph Parker in Riyadh. The former heavyweight titleholder pulled off a major upset in December, defeating the American by a wide margin and spoiling plans for a long-awaited fight between Anthony Joshua and Wilder.
Instead, Joshua brutally KO'd Francis Ngannou, and on that undercard earlier this month, Parker scored another upset with a decision win over Zhang. Chan floored Parker twice in this match, but was otherwise outboxed.
Rather than a regular boxing journey in a comeback fight, Wilder and Zhang will be in a high-stakes match that will see the winner earn a spot in another high-profile heavyweight bout. Two weeks earlier, on May 18, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship in Riyadh.
Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) is one of the greatest punchers in the history of the division. However, the fighter from Alabama has lost three of his past four fights. Two of those losses came in the championship trilogy against Fury. Fury won the rematch in 2020 with a seventh-round TKO and the following year with an 11th-round knockout that was named ESPN's Fight of the Year and KO of the Year.
Wilder, ESPN's No. 7 heavyweight, is a former heavyweight champion who dropped Fury four times in three fights. He is 38 years old and an inch taller than Mr. Zhang, but would weigh nearly 80 pounds less than the much heavier Mr. Zhang. Wilder weighed 213 pounds in his loss to Parker.
Chan will be 41 years old on fight night. He is ESPN's No. 6 heavyweight and is a southpaw puncher who is light on his feet compared to his bulk. The fighter from China is 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 291.5 pounds at the time of his loss to Parker.
Chan (26-2-1, 21 KOs) broke out last year with a two-round stoppage victory over Joe Joyce. His previous loss was against fellow fighter Filip Hrgovic, who he also knocked down.
