Anthony Yarde needs to finish the fourth strongly.

But it's the champion who lands with a fiery left. Yarde rides it out, but is struggling to make a dent on Sergey Kovalev early on.

Into the fourth...

Anthony Yarde comes out with a little more intent but has to backpedal when a fizzing Kovalev combo comes his way, the Brit ducks another and ends up in a headlock from the Russian.

Kovalev gets his gloves twitching and the crowd enjoyed that, they think he's on top here.

Yarde looks to draw Kovalev in and then throw the left again, but the Russian is the busier fighter as he keeps working his British counterpart. And that's the bell.

"Let it come natural," Sergey Kovalev's trainer tells him.

The Russian comes out pumped up from the bell and goes swinging for Anthony Yarde.

The British fighter just rides the flurry heading his way to find his footing and plot his own barrage in retaliation.

Yarde is backed up into the corner as Kovalev rains down jabs, but successive left-handers from the Brit find a way through.

Luke Reddy
BBC Sport boxing reporter

Interestingly boxing journalist Dan Rafael from ESPN and promoter Lou Di Bella both gave round one to Yarde.

There's not been much in either if the two segments so far.

Claressa Shields meanwhile...

Another Kovalev jabs rouses the crowd, before the 36-year-old thuds a left-hander into the gloves of Yarde as the British fighter tucks up. Yarde lands with a left but it might not be enough...

Any close round and the worry for Anthony Yarde is it will go the Russian's way.

The pair are drawn into a clinch and then Sergey Kovalev, with "Krusher" emblazoned on his shorts, sprays his hands around like a mime looking to find a route beyond the Yarde defence.

A left from the home fighter slips through with a minute to go in this round.

Sergey Kovalev edges forward, wheeling a left hand in the air and looking to take the fight to Anthony Yarde early on.

The British boxer attempts to counter, but it's a cagey opening - cries of "Kovalev" echo around the arena, before Yarde winds in with a right.

Yarde finds the Russian's body with another jab and then dips away to wait for the bell.

Right then, that's the talking over.

Here we go...

Boxing journalist Tom Craze...

The crowd isn't cold towards Anthony Yarde, just completely nonplussed. There's just silence whenever he's mentioned, the odd lingering clap. It's a bizarre atmosphere.

They come alive at any mention of Sergey Kovalev, mind.

Luke Reddy
BBC Sport boxing reporter

Sergey Kovalev is currently a 1-2 favourite for this. Given his pedigree, status as a world champion several times over and also the quality he has faced, you'd have thought he'd have been priced a lot shorter.

British trainer Dave Coldwell hits the nail on the head...

First up, the Brit's national anthem. Anthony Yarde rocks his chin back and takes a deep breath. Penny for your thoughts.

The Russian number follows, and the home fans sing along in unison.

Here comes Sergey Kovalev, bumping fists with those strung along the platform leading to the ring.

Couldn't possibly tell you what his walk-on track is... but it's popular among the home faithful.

Lights flicker and fizz around the arena like your old N64 is on the blink. The baseball-capped Russian bounces around on the canvas with a wry smile.

It's almost time...

A smattering of applause from the Russian crowd after the Anthony Yarde walk-on show is complete. Fancy the reception for this next one to be a bit more lively...

Mike Costello: What we have seen from Yarde on the outside is not enough to beat Sergey Kovalev there is no doubt about that. Yarde is very keen on leading off with a left hook but that is dangerous. Somebody like Kovalev, if sharp, will find room for that right hand over the top. Yarde will find the level and accuracy of punching coming at him so much greater than he has faced before and Kovalev also has a high work rate.

Andre Ward: At the highest level, it doesn't matter how good you do pad work, how big your muscles are, you have to show you have the conditioning, show you have the IQ, you have to show you can take it and dish it out. Your team will be under pressure and in Russia too, you will be under pressure. I see Kovalev winning, maybe stopping him.