The actual ‘undisputed’ heavyweight title may not be on the line again this time around but the whole world will recognise the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 as the best heavyweight on the planet.
Fury suffered a split-decision points defeat on a dramatic night in Saudi Arabia back in May as Usyk became boxing's first four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion. They go again on Saturday night (December 21) and after such an exciting first fight, boxing fans are hoping for more of the same in Riyadh.
Here, the experts at Furyjoshua.com have answered some key questions ahead of the bout, which will be broadcast live on DAZN Pay-Per-View, Sky Sports Box Office and TNT Sports Box Office.
Let’s get right into it. How do you solve a puzzle like Usyk?
Usyk – even at the age of 37 – is one of the most complete fighters in boxing and will be fully aware that another win against Fury would see him standing shoulder to shoulder with the all-time greats of the sport.
As an amateur boxer, Oleksandr won heavyweight gold medals at the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympics. As a pro (he turned over in 2013) he unified at cruiserweight and earlier this year won all the marbles at heavyweight and has done so while achieving generational wealth in the process.
He has been virtually flawless in an 11-year pro career, and it is difficult to pinpoint any real weaknesses in his armoury.
The 22-0 (14) Ukraine star is that rare breed of fighter who can cause panic and uncertainty in his opponents without throwing a punch due to his educated feints, upper body movement and masterful ring generalship.
Usyk’s hypnotic lead hand, phenomenal footwork and perpetual head movement are a nightmare to prepare for. Probably more so than any other active fighter in boxing, Usyk forces his opponent to be thinking for every second of every round and this can be mentally draining for the opposition.
In the immediate aftermath of that May classic, Fury himself maintained the belief that he did enough to get his arm raised in their first fight and said on his YouTube channel "I've watched the fight back lots and still got the same answer – I thought I won.
"Usyk knows he didn't beat me. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it'd be.
"My problem was I probably had too much fun. It was too easy. It was like I was in there with a local amateur boxer.”
Those comments were obviously laced with hyperbole, but we should give Fury his due. He pushed Usyk closer to defeat than any other professional in their Kingdom Arena epic.
Back in May, Fury 34-1-1 (24) seemed to be finding a real rhythm between round five and round seven. He even buckled Usyk's legs with a zinger of an uppercut in the sixth. However, a broken nose after shipping a heavy shot down the pipe by Usyk in round eight changed the narrative of the fight and he was lucky not to be stopped in round nine of course – when Usyk had him staggering all around the ring as he shipped big shot after unanswered big shot.
If he is to gain his revenge, it is clear he will need to stay switched on for the entire duration of the contest. Regardless of what he weighs in at, Tyson's stamina also needs to be on point – not just in terms of output – but to keep sharp and mentally alert for the whole fight.
Have we seen the best of Tyson Fury?
There’s no doubt that Fury – at the age of 36 – is a fighter on the slide.
In terms of his peak, some fans maintain he never looked better than he did the night he first won the heavyweight title against Wladimir Klitschko in Duesseldorf in 2015. Fast forward to 2020 and Fury produced the most destructive performance of his boxing career to end Deontay Wilder's five-year reign as WBC heavyweight world champion. He was also imperious against Dillian Whyte at Wembley in 2022, and for many that was the last great performance of ‘The Gypsy King’.
The warning signs were there when Fury was dropped by MMA star Francis Ngannou before barely eking out a decision in their crossover fight in October 2023. And Usyk handed him his first career defeat after that, but it’s worth noting that a cut suffered in sparring in the lead up to that contest affected his preparations for that ‘undisputed’ clash.
Bottom line though. Fighters generally do not start improving at the age of 36 and after years spent taking shots from seriously big men in sparring and in world title fights, it would be disingenuous to say that Fury is still anywhere near his peak at this stage.
Have there been any changes in terms of corner personnel for this rematch?
Anatoly Lomachenko has been a huge part of Usyk’s professional success, and you can bet that Usyk will have the same tried and tested team behind him which secured that ‘W’ in the first Fury fight, including Sergey Lapin and veteran cut man Russ Anber. Team Usyk is a tight and ultra-professional unit, and they what they are doing.
Can the same be said of Team Fury?
Tyson seemed to have so many different voices in his chaotic corner. Indeed, when the camera panned to Fury’s corner in between rounds – particularly in the second half of the fight – it seemed as though conflicting instructions were being shouted in his overall direction by his trainers ‘SugarHill’ Steward and Andy Lee, as well as his own father ‘Big’ John Fury.
A boxer only gets 60 seconds between rounds and needs a calm and reassuring voice of authority to speak in that time. Fury’s corner was bedlam late on in that first fight, so it will be so interesting to see how things play out in the return.
Does it detract at all from the occasion that all the big fights are now happening in Saudi in an atmosphere that always feels almost overly polite and well mannered?
While Riyadh Season has been a game-changer, there is no question that the atmosphere at these huge events in Saudi is incomparable to big world title shows in Las Vegas or the UK.
It’s a strange one as The Kingdom has put on huge events outside of Saudi Arabia which have been rocking. For example, Wembley was absolutely shook for Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois a couple of months ago. However, the big fights in Riyadh do tend to play out to polite applause rather than fans getting all raucous and losing their minds.
Let’s have it right though. These huge fights wouldn't be happening at all if they weren't being done out in Saudi and so fair play to Turki Alalshikh – chairman of the General Entertainment Authority – for giving us super fights like Fury v Usyk (twice) and Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol in 2024.
Best fight on the undercard?
Londoner Dennis McCann was scheduled to face Liverpool's Peter McGrail in Riyadh, but he is now off the bill due to an adverse finding in his pre-fight test with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). That looked a pick ‘em fight, and the undercard is certainly poorer given it is now not happening.
However, there is still loads of quality on show, and it will be fascinating to watch Moses Itauma again. Many believe Itauma could be the future of the heavyweight division when messrs Usyk, Fury and Joshua finally pack the gloves away.
‘Enriko’ is only 19 but has already streaked to 10-0 (8) and is making his second appearance in Riyadh. He boxes Aussie southpaw Demsey McKean, who has been out of the ring for 16 months since his stoppage loss to Filip Hrgovic. McKean is 22-1 (14) so this – on paper at least – looks a solid test for Itauma.
In another heavyweight attraction, popular London ticket seller Johhny Fisher is also on the show as he throws down with Dave Allen. Fisher – The Romford Bull – is 12-0 (11) and might hit too hard for Allen, a 32-year-old who has a lot of miles on the clock.
Serhii Bohachuk v Ishmael Davis is also on the bill, and Davis is taking another assignment at late notice here. The Leeds fighter is a 6/1 outsider in the betting but ‘lives the life’, will be coming to win and could spring a shock here if Bohachuk gets complacent.
Who wins in Saudi and ends 2024 as the best heavyweight in the world?
On a legacy-defining night, we expect this to be another tough fight for both guys. It may come down to who learned the most from their first dance.
Does Team Fury stick or twist? In recent weeks Tyson has said he just needs to box the same way he did in the first fight in this return, and the man himself seems certain that he would have won if he didn’t have that ninth round which was scored a 10-8 against him by all three ringside judges. It’s not as clear-cut as that of course.
There were long periods where Usyk was struggling to get past the jab of the longer man, but his relentless footwork and superior conditioning were also a factor the longer the fight went.
‘The Gypsy King’ was certainly in control between rounds three and six in May, and Usyk was feeling those body shots and uppercuts that Fury was whipping in. However, it’s undeniable that Usyk was busier down the stretch, and crucially he didn’t lose his shape when Fury was putting it on him.
Fury’s prep was hampered by a cut in sparring ahead of their first fight, so who knows if he will be in better shape this time round? New reports suggest Fury is coming in heavy for this rematch. This would suggest he is not going to box on the back foot again and will be looking for a stoppage.
A large part of Fury’s advantage over his opponents down the years is his sheer size. As well as being a boxer with a high ring IQ he is also a very clever spoiler able to wear down opponents with his bulk.
If the plan is ‘seek and destroy’ – like it was in that second fight against Wilder – then the extra bulk won’t harm.
The problems will come if he can’t get Usyk out of there in the first half of the fight. If he doesn’t get the stoppage, Fury coming in heavier will be to his detriment, as there is no getting away from the fact that carrying extra pounds makes you slower and in theory you will tire faster.
Usyk was not perfect in that first fight but will have been encouraged by the number of times his straight left over the top found its target.
Interestingly the money is coming for Fury, with Usyk drifting from an opening show of 4/7 with some firms.
If we had to lean towards either one of these guys, we would lean towards Usyk because he’s just a consummate professional and you can guarantee he will have left no stone unturned in terms of his preparation.
We don’t know where Fury’s head is after his first pro loss – a defeat can do funny things to a previously unbeaten fighter – but we do know Usyk makes opponents work at a rate they are not comfortable with, and this was evident in the second half of their first fight.
With Usyk, you pretty much know what you are going to get. With Fury, not so much. However, if anyone is going to topple Usyk it would be a dialled-in Fury, so this is all set up for another fascinating war to confirm the best heavyweight on the planet.
What time is Usyk vs Fury 2?
Timings in boxing are always fluid, depending on which undercard fights go the distance and so on, but the aim is for Usyk vs Fury 2 to begin at around 10pm UK time (2200 GMT).
The undercard begins at 6pm (1800).
How can I watch the fight?
The fight and full undercard will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Box Office, TNT Sports Box Office, and DAZN pay-per-view.
BBC Radio 5 Live will also broadcast live commentary, while Sky Sports, TNT and DAZN are expected to provide text commentary.
Which fights are on the undercard?
- Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury 2 - WBC, WBO & WBA heavyweight titles
- Serhii Bohachuk vs Ishmael Davis - super-welterweight
- Moses Itauma vs Demsey McKean - heavyweight
- Johnny Fisher vs David Allen - heavyweight
- Peter McGrail vs Rhys Edwards - super-bantamweight
- Isaac Lowe vs Lee McGregor - featherweight
- Daniel Lapin vs Dylan Colin - light-heavyweight
- Andrii Novytskyi vs Edgar Ramirez - heavyweight
- Mohammed Alakel vs Joshua Ocampo - super-featherweight
Tale of the Tape: Usyk vs Fury 2
Oleksandr Usyk's record and key stats
- Age: 37
- Height: 6ft 3in
- Reach: 85in
- Professional fights: 22
- Record: 22-0 (14 KOs)
Tyson Fury's record and key stats
- Age: 36
- Height: 6ft 9in
- Reach: 78in
- Professional fights: 36
- Record: 34-1-1 (24 KOs)
