Seven months after a thrilling first fight, unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) will defend his WBC, WBA and WBO titles against Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury (34-1-1, 24 KO) on Saturday, December 21 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN PPV.
The first Usyk vs. Fury encounter was an instant classic, as Fury controlled the first half of the fight and Usyk looked dominant throughout. The highly anticipated rematch is scheduled for next Saturday, as Usyk looks for a repeat and Fury seeks redemption. December 1, 2018 marked the start of what would prove to be a very entertaining trilogy between Tyson Fury and hard-hitting WBC champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder. In the first fight, Wilder's power was on display when he scored a knockdown in the 9th round.
In the 12th and final round, Deontay Wilder landed a two-three combination that appeared to knock out Tyson Fury. Once the referee's count reached 6, Fury appeared as WWE wrestler “The Undertaker”. Wilder scored both knockdowns, but Fury outboxed Wilder for most of the other rounds.
At the end of the 12-round contest, the fight was declared a draw by split decision. Fury and Wilder would cross paths two more times as Fury managed to come away with two convincing victories.
After the trilogy with Wilder, Fury stopped Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora. In October 2023, Fury had a lackluster performance in defeating former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou by split decision. Seven months after the Ngannou fight, Fury stepped into the ring to take part in a historic battle.
After dominating the cruiserweight division, Oleksandr Usyk made his heavyweight debut in October 2019 by stopping Chazz Witherspoon in the 7th round. A year later, Usyk defeated Derek Chisora by unanimous decision.
The former cruiserweight king would next face the unified heavyweight champion of the world. On the night of September 25, 2021, Oleksandr Usyk dispatched Anthony Joshua and won the world title fight by unanimous decision. With this victory, Usyk became the new WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight champion.
Eleven months later, Anthony Joshua, considered one of the best heavyweights of that era, got his revenge against Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua made the adjustments to make the rematch more competitive, but Usyk still managed to come away with the split decision victory.
Oleksandr Usyk will make a second defense of his unified title by stopping Daniel Dubois in the 9th round. Usyk's next program was a match against another heavyweight considered one of the best of that era.
On the night of May 18, 2024, in a battle for the undisputed world heavyweight crown, WBC champion Tyson Fury got off to a strong start by staying on the outside, using his feints and consistently landing the jab. In round number 2, Usyk stayed on the front foot, sliding from side to side and landing both the jab and left to the body.
For most of the first half of the fight, Usyk was the aggressor, but Fury did a good job controlling the reach and boxing off the back foot. After landing some solid shots to Usyk's body, Fury finished the sixth round by connecting with a sharp uppercut that hurt Usyk.
During the second half of the fight, the southpaw Usyk continued to advance, sliding from side to side, applying both physical and mental pressure. Late in the 9th round, Usyk fired a hard left hand shot that sent Fury reeling. Usyk proceeded to unleash a flurry of shots as Fury staggered around the ring until he finally fell.
Fury survived the knockdown, but over the period Usyk was the stronger and more active fighter. At the conclusion of the 12-round contest, Oleksandr Usyk won by split decision and became the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999.
Usyk also accomplished the feat of winning the undisputed crown in two divisions. A few weeks after his historic victory, Usyk was stripped of the IBF title. Now his rematch against Tyson Fury is a unified world title fight.
Tyson Fury is the key to the rematch because he is the one who has to make the adjustments. In the first half of the first fight, Fury was boxing well on the back foot until he made a critical mistake. So the question is: Will Fury try to replicate his performance by omitting the mistake, or will he fight on the front foot and be the aggressor?
Oleksandr Usyk is a nightmare due to the fact that he has elite-level boxing skills, footwork, and IQ. His opponent, Tyson Fury, is a master at making the necessary adjustments. That being said, on December 21, when Usyk and Fury face off for the second time, will it be a repeat or redemption?
#Repeat #Redemption #Usyk #Fury