Alexander Povetkin vs. David Price official for March 31 on Joshua-Parker undercard

Alexander Povetkin and David Price will fight for a pair of minor heavyweight titles on Mar. 31 on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Joseph Parker.

Povetkin (33-1, 23 KO's), 38, of Russia, has won seven consecutive bouts since dropping a one-sided unanimous decision to Wladimir Klitschko in 2013.

Povetkin, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, was banned from participating in any WBC-sanctioned bouts last March after testing positive twice performance-enhancing drugs in an eight-month span in 2016.

However, that didn't stop Povetkin from fighting last year. He defeated Andriy Rudenko on points in a scheduled 12-round bout in July, and outpointed fringe contender Christian Hammer in December.

"I'm very excited to be fighting on this huge show," Povetkin said. "I expect to put on a great performance and then go on to fight the Joshua vs. Parker winner later this year."

Price (22-4, 18 KO's), 34, of the United Kingdom, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, has been knocked out in all of his losses. He is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Kamil Sokolowski, but the latter had a record of 4-11-2. Last February, he was knocked out by the aforementioned Hammer for the European heavyweight belt.

"It is a massive, massive chance for me, and it has come from nowhere," Price said via ESPN. "I wasn't expecting an opportunity like this to appear, so it was a no-brainer [to take the fight]. It is a big ask for me to go out and win this fight, but upsets do happen in sport. I have been on the wrong end of upsets in boxing, and I think I am due a bit of luck. I have a belief that this fight has come at the right time for me, and I have a belief that I am going to win the fight.

"Without doing myself a disservice, every dog has its day, and I have a feeling that this is going to be my day and everything that has happened has led to this. I have never found myself in this position, where I have been the big underdog and I have everything to gain. I will go in there completely free of any pressure, and I think people will see the best of me for that very reason."

Price is coming into this fight as a heavy underdog and against a fighter who has produced a number of highlight-reel knockouts over the years, but Price says he's ready to face the fire and fury of his opponent.

"Make no mistake, I am coming to win," Price said. "At first, I was just grateful for the opportunity. But now, in my mind, I have to win this fight. There is plenty to gain and too much upside for me not to win this fight. It could be life-changing. I am desperate to win this fight, and I will do everything in my power to do so. I know it will be a hard fight. Anything can happen in a fight, and I may have to get off the floor to win. It is going to be the hardest fight of my life, but something is telling me it is going to be my night."