Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, Latest News, Future Predictions

In contention for one of the biggest fights to happen in the history of the heavyweights division in boxing due to the stakes involved, British fighter Tyson Fury is expected to fight the Ukrainian phenom Oleksandr Usyk in the first quarter of 2023. Both fighters hope to make history as the first unified heavyweight fighter since Lennox Lewis achieved the feat in 1999. Indeed these fighters are on the path to glory, which is why we bring you the rumors and news surrounding this fight. Keep reading as we also make our preview and predictions for the potential battle between these two dominant fighters. Stay updated with Half A Goal!

Tyson Fury’s Path To Glory

Fury has a motivational story. He has fought through different obstacles to get to where he is today. No one would think he would end up as world champion again after all he went through.

• Fury’s first world title stint was in 2015. Fury fought the necessary fighters to bring his ranking up enough to earn himself his first title shot against the then-champion, Wladimir Klitschko. The fight occurred at Düsseldorf, Germany’s Esprit Arena, on November 28, 2015, as scheduled. Despite the two heavyweights fighting to the end, the bout was not as entertaining as the spectators had hoped. Fury prevailed after twelve rounds with a unanimous decision. 

• Fury opted to relinquish the WBA (Unified), WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles in late 2016, while an anti-doping case involving his cocaine use and nandrolone results was being investigated. However, he was also ruled medically unfit to fight, so he could not defend the championship against Klitschko; hence he had to relinquish those titles. 

• Fury returned to in-ring action in 2018, and it didn’t look like the two-year break he took from boxing had any effect on him. He had two fights to earn him a title shot against the current WBC champion at that time, Deontay Wilder. In the last month of 2018, Fury and Wilder fought the first of the trilogy, which ended in a draw and meant that Wilder retained the title. 

• A rematch was fixed for 2020, and Fury succeeded in stripping Wilder of the WBC title. Fury was the name on everyone’s mouth in this bout as he punished Wilder immensely, forcing his corner to throw the towel after several knockdowns and apparent physical damage. The third fight, which marked the end of the trilogy, saw Fury, the new WBC champion, defend his title successfully against Wilder. 
• Fury went on to successfully defend his belt against Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, and now he’s set to participate in the greatest fight of his career against Usyk.

Oleksandr Usyk’s Path To Glory 

Oleksandr Usyk was a late bloomer in the boxing world. He started as a cruiserweight, and after he conquered the division, he decided to move up a weight class; that has been the best decision for him as he has done nothing but flourish in the heavyweight division. The movement up a weight class made him a mandatory challenger for the WBO belt as per the WBO regulations.

• Usyk will make his heavyweight debut against Tyrone Spong at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, in the fourth quarter of 2019. Chazz Witherspoon replaced Spong after a positive clomiphene test result disqualified Spong. After round 7, Witherspoon submitted in his corner, giving Usyk the victory.

• The next fight between Usyk and Derek Chisora occurred on May 23, 2020, at London’s O2 Arena. The Ukrainian entered the contest knowing that a victory would qualify him to challenge Anthony Joshua for the WBO heavyweight championship. Usyk defeated Chisora in a unanimous decision.

• Due to Anthony Joshua’s inability to face Tyson Fury, Joshua mandatorily defended his title against Usyk on September 25 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Usyk pulled off an unexpected triumph by outboxing the champion throughout 12 rounds to win by unanimous decision to become the unified world heavyweight champion. 

• Usyk went on to successfully defend his belts against Joshua. He won by a split decision in the rematch against Joshua. Now he faces Tyson Fury in a bid to become undisputed.

Tale Of The Tape

Tyson Fury

Age: 34

Fight: 33

Wins: 32

Losses: 0

Draws: 1

Knockouts: 23

Height: 6ft 9 In

Reach: 85 In

Stance: Orthodox

Oleksandr Usyk

Age: 35

Fight: 20

Wins: 20

Losses: 0

Draws: 0

Knockouts: 13

Height: 6ft 3 In

Reach: 78 In

Stance: Southpaw

Latest News About Fury Vs Usyk

According to Egis Klimas, the manager of Oleksandr Usyk, the bout between Tyson Fury and him is planned to happen between late February and early March. The fight is meant to be for the undisputed heavyweight world championship, uniting the Gypsy King’s WBC crown with Usyk’s WBA, IBF, and WBO champions. 

• Both fighters want the fight; thus, according to the reports, it is certain. To give them enough time to prepare, there won’t be any interim bouts before they meet off.

• Despite numerous offers to move the fight to a stadium in the Middle East, similar to the second fight between Usyk and Joshua, the UK is still running to host the fight with Wembley Stadium in mind for what might just be the fight of the decade. No matter the time or date chosen, the fight must take place within the first four months of 2023.

Predictions For The Fight

Tyson Fury simply has the advantage here. He is bigger, stronger, and taller and has proven he can take a beating. This is unlike Usyk, who is yet to fight a profile like Fury and might be in for a tough fight here. Fury will head into this fight as the favorite, but we have seen what Usyk can do as the underdog in fights. The odds for Tyson Fury to win are 1.48 (decimal) and -210 (American). Meanwhile, the odds for Usyk to pull the upset are 2.70 (decimal) and +170 (American). The best pick for this fight is to back it to go the distance. This fight will go to at least eleven rounds. 

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