Fans can also follow live text coverage of every fight and video highlights on the BBC Sport website
BBC has announced they have secured audio and commentary rights for Saturday's huge card 'The Last Crescendo' in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC will broadcast live commentary from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as Britain’s Daniel Dubois defends his IBF world heavyweight title against former champion Joseph Parker this Saturday, 22 February, as part of Riyadh season. The bill also features the hugely anticipated re-match between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed world light heavyweight title, and a host of fights for global belts, including Britain’s Hamzah Sheeraz challenging for the WBC world middleweight crown.
Jeanette Kwakye presents live from ringside, with commentary led by Ronald McIntosh, Steve Bunce and two-time featherweight world champion Josh Warrington. Fans can follow live text coverage of every fight and video highlights on the BBC Sport website.
From 4.30pm, live commentary on BBC Sport website and app:
Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith (WBO interim light heavyweight title)
Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel (vacant WBC interim heavyweight title)
Vergil Ortiz Jr vs. Israil Madrimov (WBC interim super welterweight title)
From 7:30 pm, live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds:
Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz (WBC world middleweight title)
Shakur Stevenson vs. Flloyd Schofield (WBC world lightweight title)
Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker (IBF world heavyweight title)
Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol (undisputed world light heavyweight title)
The 5 Live Boxing podcast with Steve Bunce comes from Riyadh throughout fight week, featuring big names, the press conferences, the weigh-ins and post-fight reaction. Episodes drop daily on BBC Sounds.
Steve Houghton, BBC Sport’s Head of Audio says: “This is one of the highest quality bills in Boxing history and we’ll be ringside with all the drama on 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport app. Audiences will get the very best commentary and analysis on the night, as well as daily 5 Live Boxing podcasts with Steve Bunce. There’s nothing like a big fight night on 5 Live.”
This is huge news for boxing fans, and for the BBC, reinforcing BBC Radio 5 Live as the premier sports audio service in the UK. Initially Turki Alalashikh had resisted calls for radio coverage due to fears it would hurt the pay-per-view numbers in the UK. Radio 5 Live's coverage of the Dubois v Joshua card at Wembley was listened to by an estimated audience of more than 5 million.
Dubois v Joshua was followed by the rematch between Usyk and Fury in December.
Many of the great fights in boxing history have been described on BBC Radio 5 Live including Tyson v Bruno in 1989 and 1996, Frank Bruno becoming WBC Heavyweight World Champion in 1995, through to the showdown in Poland between Daniel Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk. This is also somewhat of a coup for the BBC securing these rights ahead of TalkSport, who have become the home of live radio coverage of the sport.
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