- What: Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury - Heavyweight title fight
- Where: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- When: Saturday, May 18th
While there are some big fights before May 18th rolls around, the entire boxing world is waiting for that date as Tyson Fury puts his undisputed heavyweight belts on the line against rival Oleksandr Usyk, who has been waiting for the opportunity to step in the ring with the big Englishman. Fury has never lost before and remains the king of the heavyweight division. Although he's previously retired, there's a good chance he will officially hang up the gloves if he does beat Usyk here. The Ukrainian is currently dealing with a liver injury from a dirty shot in his most recent KO win over Daniel Dubois but should be able to recover by May.
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Usyk vs Fury Odds
| Fighter |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oleksandr Usyk | -110 | -115 | -110 |
| Tyson Fury | -120 | -135 | -120 |
It's rarely you see a Fury fight where he's not a massive favorite. But in this bout, the Brit is sitting at -120 odds. Usyk comes back at -110. The total in rounds in this title clash is set at 10.5. There's a good chance it will go the distance.
Can Usyk Beat Fury?
This is the question that everyone is asking. Can Usyk actually beat Fury, who has been unstoppable in his lengthy career? It does feel unlikely, even though Usyk is a very solid fighter himself. The Ukrainian is 21-0 with 14 knockouts and has been a world champion in two weight classes. He is currently the unified heavyweight champ of the world. Usyk decided to turn pro later than most at 27 years old in 2013. Since then, he's had a phenomenal career with no shortage of impressive wins.
He beat Anthony Joshua in back-to-back fights in 2021 and 2022 before knocking out Daniel Dubois back in August in Poland since he couldn't fight in his homeland of Ukraine due to the war. That's when he suffered the liver injury though, which not only takes a long time to heal but also makes a boxer hesitant in certain positions because they're scared about getting hit in that area again. This fight was initially supposed to take place on February 18th but due to stitches on Fury's eye recently, they've pushed it back. Usyk even missed the birth of his fourth child because of his training camp but this also gives him more time to prepare.
Usyk holds the WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight titles and with a win in May, can snatch Fury's WBC belt too and become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since the legendary Lennox Lewis in 2000. It will be interesting to see if Usyk can make it count and possibly beat Fury in Riyadh. I don't think anyone else ever will.
Fury Still The King
When you look at Tyson Fury, it's truly hard to imagine how he's such a warrior in the ring. But, the Manchester native is one of the toughest fighters to ever step foot in the ring. The 35-year-old is 34-1-0 in his career with 24 knockouts and has held the WBC heavyweight belt since 2020. Fury has fought some pretty big names over the years including Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder twice, Derek Chisora, and Dillian Whyte. Not one of them could beat him. The last notable fighter he's yet to face is Usyk, so here we go.
Only a few months ago, Fury clashed with former UFC superstar Francis Ngannou, who was fighting his first boxing match. The Cameroonian really held his own with Fury and could've easily been crowned the winner, but the judges gave the Englishman the decision win even though he was knocked down at one point by Ngannou. The ex-UFC heavyweight champion brought a different style of boxing to the table that clearly confused Fury at times. That being said, he won't be surprised by what Usyk throws at him in May.
Fury suffered an eye injury in a sparring session this week so he'll need to recover from that in time for May, which shouldn't be a problem. The fight was also delayed from December to February, so these two will be biting at the bit to finally get this show on the road and settle their differences.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury Picks
Although the odds are relatively even, I have zero doubts Fury will take care of business here like he always does. It may go the distance, but the Brit is going to be the undisputed champion of the world.
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