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WATCH – Steve Ward versus World’s Strongest Man Hafthor Bjornsson

Steven Ward and former World’s Strongest Man Hafthor Bjornsson shared the boxing ring in Dubai last night.

However, the result and any footage of the fight has been kept under lock and key over the past 24 hours.

As a result there has been a demand for footage, a demand that will be met come 7pm tonight, Irish time, as IFL TV re run the fight footage.

The two men met over 3 x 3 minute rounds at the sold out Conrad Dubai, 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.

Bjornsson has become one of the most recognisable 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 and Iceland’s Strongest Man every year from 2011 to 2020. 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, and sees MTK Global working with CoreSports to serve as the official boxing advisors for the clash.

Before Bjornsson turned his attention to the fight with Hall in September 2021, he will got some rounds under his belt against Ward.

Ward has a professional boxing record of 13 wins and just one defeat, and won the WBO European light-heavyweight title against Liam Conroy in June 2019, with the two men involved in a bout that many fans deemed the Fight of the Year. He has since moved up to cruiserweight, where he defeated Jone Volau in September.

Along with the Ward vs. Bjornsson extravaganza, there is also a packed undercard, including undefeated sensation Rohan Date, who is scheduled to fought Moaz Allam.

Colm Murphy met Ali Bassam, Vladan Babic fought Iurii Nepliuiev, Stephane Fondjo was up against Timur Abdumalikovich Umarov, and Aaron Bickerstaff squared off with Jamie King.

A star-studded team commentated on the event, with former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton, MMA legend Bas Rutten and Chris Lloyd offering their expert analysis.

Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com

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