Heavyweight contender Joseph Parker has revealed there is a rematch clause in place ahead of his March 8 Saudi Arabia fight with Zhilei Zhang – if he loses – because of Zhang’s position with the WBO.

Parker, who shocked Deontay Wilder and won a wide decision in December over the heavy-hitting former champion, meets Zhang on the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou bill and he is already in Riyadh, training with the likes of young heavyweight contender Moses Itauma.

Chinese southpaw Zhang, coming off two impressive stoppage wins over Joe Joyce, is 26-1-1 with 21 KOs and holds both the WBO interim title and he is the WBO’s mandatory challenger for the winner of the May bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk – which also has a rematch clause.

New Zealand veteran and former WBO Parker is 34-3 with 23 stoppages, and he told talkSPORT that he will have to face Zhang again if he wins.

Zhang is well familiar with rematch clauses. Having defeated Joyce the first time in April last year, he was obligated to face him again and won the rematch in style with one of the knockouts of 2023 in September.