The first Usyk v Fury fight was big, but this weekend’s rematch Usyk v Fury 2 promises to be the heavyweight boxing highlight of the year and a real early Christmas present for boxing fans!
When Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury met back in May, the undisputed heavyweight world title was on the line with all five major belts and The Ring title at stake.
Usyk landed the victory via split decision last time around, and with Tyson Fury activating the rematch clause in his contract for the fight, the Gypsy King will get his shot to win some of those titles back.
Usyk v Fury 2 will be for four of the five belts, plus the Ring title. The IBA Heavyweight World Title is now held by British fighter Daniel Dubois, who won the belt after beating Anthony Joshua earlier this year.
Another potential unification bout with Dubois could be on the horizon for the winner of this fight.
So before we begin our preview of Usyk v Fury 2, let’s quickly recap how the first fight between the two panned out.
Usyk v Fury 2 – How Usyk v Fury 1 Set The Scene For The Second Showdown in Saudi!
Pre-Fight
Originally, Usyk v Fury 1 was to take place on the 23rd December 2023, but the fight was postponed until February 2024 due to Tyson Fury fighting MMA heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in October 2023.
Then in February, Fury cut his eye in sparring when training for the fight and that forced a further postponement until the 18th May 2024.
Usyk v Fury 1 finally took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on that date and at the time it saw Tyson Fury put his WBC Heavyweight World Title on the line, and Oleksandr Usyk put his WBA, WBO, IBO, IBF and The Ring titles on the line.
The winner would become the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis last achieved the feat in 1999.
Usyk v Fury 1 – How The Fight Unfolded
The fight began with Tyson Fury showboating and Usyk the better of the two boxers in the opening round and the Ukrainian was on the front foot in the first three to four rounds. Fury then started to land better shots and the Gypsy King landed the fifth, six and seventh rounds on all three of the judges scorecards.
The eight and ninth round were very much where Usyk gained momentum, hurting Fury twice with good punches to the head, causing Fury’s nose to bleed and in the ninth, Usyk had Fury hurt and staggering onto the ropes.
Fury looked glazed and seriously hurt, and the referee gave him a standing eight count. However the bell rang to end the round and save Fury from a likely knockout.
Usyk didn’t push for the knockout in the tenth, but won it on the judges cards, but Fury bounced back in the final two rounds to make the outcome very close.
The fight went to the judges’ scorecards and Usyk was declared the winner via split decision. Two judges scoring the bout 115-112 and 114-113 for Usyk, while the other scored it 114-113 for Fury.
Usyk v Fury 2
After the fight Fury stated that he felt he had won the fight and that the judges had favoured Usyk due to the Ukraine being at war with Russia. Both fighters expressed a willingness for a rematch.
On the 29th May 2024, the date for the rematch was set for the 21st December 2024, also to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In the meantime, Usyk vacated his IBF World Title belt, rather than face a mandatory challenger that would have meant a delay to the rematch. Daniel Dubois won the belt beating Anthony Joshua in a fight for the vacant title.
A future unification bout for the undisputed title with Daniel Dubois is a potential future match for the winner of this fight.
Current Betting Odds for Usyk v Fury 2 at Bet365 Sport
As of Sunday, 15th December 2024, Bet365 Sport is offering the following odds for the highly anticipated Usyk v Fury 2 fight:
- Usyk to win: 1.66
- Fury to win: 2.20
- Draw: 15.00
According to Bet365, Usyk’s most likely method of victory is a Unanimous Decision on points, priced at 3.60. On the other hand, Fury’s best chance of winning is considered to be via Technical Knockout, with odds of 5.50.
Additionally, Bet365 features a Bet Builder option for the fight, allowing customers to create personalised bets by combining multiple selections for Usyk v Fury 2 into a single wager. There are also a number of exciting bet boost markets available for the Usyk v Fury 2 contest!
Usyk v Fury 2 – The Tale of the Tape
Outlined below are how the two boxers compare in the story as told by the ‘tale of the tape’.
| Attribute | Tyson Fury | Oleksandr Usyk |
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| Date of Birth | 12th August 1988 | 17th January 1987 |
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| Hometown | Manchester, England | Simferopol, Ukraine |
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| Age | 36 | 37 |
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| Height | 6ft 9in (206cm) | 6ft 3in (191cm) |
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| Reach | 85in (216cm) | 78in (198cm) |
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| Weight | 262lb (119kg) | 223.5lb (101kg) |
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| Stance | Orthodox/Switch | Southpaw |
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| Nickname | The Gypsy King | The Cat |
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| Professional Record | 34-1-1 (24 KOs) | 22-0-0 (14 KOs) |
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| Amateur Record | 31-4 | 335-15 (Olympic Gold Medalist) |
| Titles | None – Challenger | WBA, IBO, WBC, WBO, The Ring & Lineal Champion |
How Will Usyk v Fury 2 Be Won And Lost?
Many experts have pondered how Tyson Fury will approach this second fight. Certainly, there is not expected to be any showboating as we saw at the start of the first fight between the two.
Usyk likely won’t alter his gameplan. The Ukrainian has never been beaten as a professional and has proven his ability against most of the top heavyweights in the world. He has proven he has the tools and the talent to beat any fighter.
Fury though has options. He has looked leaner in recent interviews, suggesting he is trimming down from his usual weight of around 262lb. Anthony Joshua did similar in his second bout against Usyk and pushed the Ukrainian more than he did in the first fight.
However, other heavyweight stars feel Fury should use his natural advantages of height, reach and weight more in the fight. Lennox Lewis stated he wanted to see Fury come in heavier for this fight and use this to nullify the smaller Usyk.
Whatever happens, it promises to be a pre-Christmas dust-up in the desert that will excite the boxing world!
