There is no doubt about it – come February 17th, we have a mega fight on our hands! Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh will be the city in which boxing history will be made next month, as we will see the first boxing undisputed heavyweight champion be crowned since Lennix Lewis did it in 1999 when he beat Evander Holyfield.
Tyson Fury will put his WBC heavyweight belt on the line as he tries to obtain the IBF, WBA, WBO, and Ring Magazine titles from Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian will be looking to add the Englishman’s title to his collection, as both men will aim to be the first man to do it in 24 years.
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk
How Did Tyson Fury Get Here?
Everyone knows Fury’s history and how he has managed to rise to the top of the heavyweight division following his time away from the sport. It has been nothing short of remarkable, but he could arguably be about to face his toughest challenge yet.
The Gypsy King managed to capture the WBC title and the vacant The Ring Heavyweight title when he defeated Deontay Wilder in 2020 in the second match of their trilogy, as he defended it successfully in 2021. Since then, he has had fights against Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, in which he defended those belts successfully.
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His fight against Francis Ngannou was an exhibition match in Riyadh that left some questions as the big former UFC man knocked him down and did not display his best boxing. It was not perhaps ideal preparation for the contest that he is likely to have against Usyk.
Nonetheless, that does not appear to have had an impact on his odds as the eventual winner. It is a fight that is likely going to capture the attention of sports bettors globally, and some interesting prices have been made available ahead of the mega-fight.
According to the prices to have been released on the Red32 Sport betting operator, Fury is the favourite as he has been valued at 3/4. He edges Usyk slightly, with the Ukrainian having been priced at 11/10. A draw appears unlikely, with odds set at 15/1.
How Has Oleksandr Usyk Got Here?
Usyk is a fighter that has undoubtedly taken the boxing world by storm. He has been impressive ever since he first stepped inside the ropes and began fighting professionally.
He has worked his way up the weight divisions and rankings, having been an undisputed champion in the cruiserweight division. He became the undisputed champion of that weight class in 2018 before moving up to heavyweight and bulldozing his way through the division.
In 2021, he managed to defeat Anthony Joshua and won the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. He defeated the Brit in a rematch in 2022 and won the vacant The Ring heavyweight title to add to his collection. Since then, he has had one fight – a controversial win against Daniel Dubois regarding a low blow.
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Undeniably, The Gypsy King is going to be the biggest challenge of The Cat’s fight career to date, but he is a formidable opponent in his own right. He is slightly older than the Englishman but has had fewer professional fights.
Will the Fight Actually Go Ahead?
With a fight as big as Fury vs Usyk, it is not a surprise that everyone likes to have an opinion about what may or may not happen when the two square off in the ring. Some have even suggested that the fight may not happen.
Both Carl Froch and Shawn Porter have questioned Fury and whether he wants the fight, with both seemingly appearing to suggest that it is beyond The Gypsy King at this moment in time. The demands of a February fight have left both questioning whether Fury would have been happy to spend the festive period training and not enjoying it to the fullest.
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There has been some back-and-forth regarding the date for the fight at times, with some claiming that the English fighter did not want it in the first place. The original date of December had to be pushed back because of his contest with Ngannou, but fans have had to wait an additional two months.
Regardless of whatever happens, we are most likely to see it all again at some point, as a rematch clause has also been agreed upon that states it must take place before the end of June.
We are in for the fight of the ages!
