By Steve Kim

WBO cruiserweight titlist Aleksandr Usyk makes his second outing in America (and on HBO) this Saturday night from the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, when he faces Michael Hunter.

Back on December 17th at the Forum in Inglewood, California, Usyk was able to subdue Thabiso Mchunu in nine rounds but early on heard the boo's and catcalls from the restless audience.

Mchunu, a smallish southpaw, provided a very difficult style in which to truly shine. The hope is that Hunter will be a better dance partner.

Tom Loeffler, the managing director of K2 Promotion, who handles the 2012 Ukrainian gold medalist told BoxingScene.com - "Michael Hunter is undefeated, 12-0, also a member for the Olympic squad for the United States (in 2012). So I think it's going to be a great match-up."

"Mchunu he just had a very unconventional style, it's hard to look good against a style like that and when Usyk can still get a TKO with someone that slick and that good of a boxer it's a big statement for Usyk's ability to track down somebody in the ring."

So if Usyk should come out successful and relatively unscathed, what comes next for his career?

"Usyk's another guy who doesn't care where he fights. He won in the lion's den and beat the champion (Krzysztof Glowacki) in Poland. Now he's going to be back on HBO, it's going to be his second time on HBO and now he's going to be on the East Coast. If everything goes the right way, my understanding is that Alexander Krassyuk (the head of K2 Ukraine), they want to bring him back to the Ukraine in the summertime and then we'll see about what we can do with him in the fall," explained Loeffler.

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.