Tyson Fury has provided an update on his condition ahead of Saturday’s rescheduled undisputed world heavyweight bout with Oleksandr Usyk. The WBC heavyweight titleholder had to withdraw from their earlier scheduled fight this year due to a cut sustained during sparring, meaning the bout was cancelled.
The much-awaited showdown between Fury and Usyk, which was initially set for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, February 17, has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 18. This match-up promises to be historic, as it will be the first time since Lennox Lewis triumphed over Evander Holyfield in 1999 that the boxing world will see an undisputed heavyweight champion.
As the new date for the fight approaches, Fury has taken to Instagram to flaunt his fighting form. He posted a shirtless photo of himself flexing his muscles, accompanied by the caption: “Undisputed incoming [100 emoji and green tick emoji] 18/5/24.”
The post quickly captured the attention of fans, amassing over 100,000 likes and nearly 2,000 comments within a mere six hours. Notably, there were no visible marks or swelling around his right eye, which had been injured during training earlier in the year.
Paris Fury, Tyson’s wife, expressed her distress over the initial fight delay. She shared on her Instagram story: “My full body was shaking with nerves when he showed me this cut, cus I wasn’t there with him. He sounded so p****d off and disappointed but this is boxing (a dangerous sport) and these things can happen.”, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Where can you watch Fury vs Usyk in the UK?
For UK fight fans the clash will be shown live DAZN PPV. The DAZN UK PPV price is £24.99, which also includes one month’s DAZN subscription.
For existing DAZN subscribers, the UK PPV price will be £24.99 and will come with one month of a DAZN subscription. It will also be shown in the UK TNT Sports Box Office and on Sky Sports Box Office.
Tyson Fury, the heavyweight boxing champion, has expressed immense respect for his upcoming opponent Usyk, acknowledging the Ukrainian’s formidable track record and skills. In a conversation with Queensberry Promotions, Fury lauded Usyk, as reported by the Mirror: “Oleksandr Usyk’s a real bad man and to underestimate Usyk you’d be a mug,” he remarked.
“So I’m training hard for him, I’m doing everything I can. I respect Usyk as a man.”
He continued to praise Usyk’s achievements, saying, “I respect his career as well – Olympic champion, undisputed cruiserweight champion, unified heavyweight champion. You have to respect that, I’m fighting the real deal. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Fury also commented on Usyk’s technical prowess: “He’s a southpaw, he’s got good footwork, good boxing ability, technically sound. He’s proved he can mix it with the big heavyweights because he’s beat Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.”
The Gypsy King further acknowledged the mental aspect of their upcoming bout: “I’m messing with an elite fighter who’s got more than boxing ability. He’s stubborn and he wants to win like I do. All of the talent and attributes aside, it will come down to who wants it most on the night.”
He added a personal note on determination: “If he wants it more than him, he’ll win and if I want it more than him then I’ll win. I just think my will and determination will be more than his on the night.”
With a fight scheduled later this month, Fury is aware of the historical significance of a victory: “To win them all back again would be fantastic. To get them all under one banner for the first time in 25 years..”
“There have been a few heavyweight champions since then who haven’t been able to get undisputed. It’s a very special moment, especially for heavyweight boxing to have all the belts on the line and two unbeaten champions.”