Joshua v Parker undercard: Ghana-born Joshua Buatsi to stop Grafka

Ghana-born Joshua Buatsi will fight for the fifth time since turning professional on Saturday night against Poland's Bartlomiej Grafka on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua v Joseph Parker WBO Heavyweight title fight at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

The former Olympian, Joshua Buatsi belongs to the same Matchroom stable as WBA and IBF World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and will be hoping to continue his impressive knockout streak against 29-year-olf Grafka tomorrow.

Joshua Buatsi has won three of his four bouts by TKO since turning professional in 2017, fast building his reputation as a knockout artist at light heavyweight level.

Joshua Buatsi has dispatched Jordan Joseph, Baptiste Castegnaro and Carlos Mena by TKO and edged Saidou Sall on points.

Joshua Buatsi heads into the bout a massive favourite to stop Grafka who has lost more bouts - 28 - than he has won - 20 - suffering five KOs in the process.

Grafka's latest loss came in February this year when he lost a unanimous decision to Robin Krasniqi at the Erdgas Arena in Germany. 

In the lead up to the fight, Joshua Buatsi, has revealed that he is still coming to terms with personally generating publicity for his fights.

He said; “The media work is a part of the camp and pre-fight publicity. It’s something I’m still getting used to as a professional. You need to keep the conversation in the media to promote the fight. That means doing my own social media too. It keeps people up to date with what’s happening with the training and it also helps focus the mind on the fight. I don’t mind doing it. I put myself in the fan’s position – they want to know what’s happening and it’s not a big distraction at all.”

 Buatsi and Grafka weighed in at 12st 10lbs 3oz and 12st 6lbs 8oz respectively for the fight.

Great things are expected of Joshua Buatsi who won a Bronze Medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

The London-based Joshua Buatsi revealed that undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jnr told him he was "a future world champion" when he met the American in Rio.

At 24, Joshua Buatsi turned down the opportunity to sign a professional contract for Mayweather's promotional company to finish a degree in Management and Sports Science from St Mary’s University in Twickenham in the summer of 2017.

Joshua Buatsi later signed for Hearn's Matchroom Sports and is managed by world heavyweight champion and 2012 Olympic gold medallist Anthony Joshua and his company.

"I missed the top prize at the Olympics and turning professional is all about becoming world champion," Buatsi said. "I couldn't say how long it is going to take me to achieve it, but that's the goal. For Anthony Joshua, it came at the right time and he did it under four years.

"I chose AJ and his team to manage me because he's come from the same Olympic background and he has done really well since. They will know how to move around in the pro ranks commercially and have learned how to manage an Olympic medallist."

Despite the bold decision to put education before the start of his boxing career, Buatsi insists punching is his top priority.

"I was able to do uni and box, but I was always going to box and I've never thought about a nine-to-five job, boxing has to work for me," Buatsi added. "But it shows that if an important decision has to be made about my boxing and I feel strong about it, I will stick to it."

Joshua Buatsi, has lived in Croydon since his family moved from Ghana to England when he was aged nine.

• Alexander Povetkin vs David Price (WBA and WBO heavyweight inter-continental and international)
• Ryan Burnett vs Yonfrez Parejo (WBA bantamweight)
• Anthony Crolla vs Edson Ramirez (lightweight)
• Joe Cordina vs Hakim Ben Ali (vacant WBA lightweight)
• Josh Kelly vs Carlos Molina (vacant WBA international welterweight)
• Morgan Jones vs Mose Auimatagi Jr (super middleweight)
• Sean McGoldrick vs Ricky Little
• Joshua Buatsi vs Bartlomiej Grafka