Seven months after the epic first fight, joint world heavyweight 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 KOs) on Saturday, December 21st at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN PPV.
The first match of Usyk vs Fury was a quick one, as Fury dominated the first half of the fight, and Usyk looked stunned. A highly anticipated rematch is scheduled for this coming Saturday, as Usyk seeks a rematch, and Fury seeks redemption. December 1, 2018, marked the start of what would be a very exciting fight between Tyson Fury and WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder. In the first match, Wilder’s power was evident when he scored a knockout in the 9th round.
In the 12th and final round, Deontay Wilder landed a two-three combination that seemed to knock Tyson Fury down. When the referee’s count hit 6, Fury appeared as WWE’s ‘The Undertaker.’ Wilder scored two knockdowns, but Fury outboxed Wilder in the rest of the rounds.
At the end of the 12 round contest, the fight was declared a split decision. Fury and Wilder would face each other two more times as Fury was able to come back with two convincing victories.
After the trilogy with Wilder, Fury went on to stop both Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora. In October 2023, Fury did well as he defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou by split decision. Seven months after the battle of Gannou, Fury stepped into the ring to take part in an epic battle.
After dominating the cruiserweight division, Oleksandr Usyk made his heavyweight debut back in October 2019 when he stopped Chazz Witherspoon in the 7th round. A year later, Usyk defeated Derek Chisora by unanimous decision.
The former cruiserweight champion will face the unified heavyweight champion of the world. On the night of September 25, 2021, Oleksandr Usyk knocked out Anthony Joshua and won the world title fight by unanimous decision. With the victory, Usyk became the new WBA, WBO, and IBF world champion.
Eleven months later, the man considered one of the best heavyweights of the era, Anthony Joshua, got a rematch against Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua made adjustments to make the rematch competitive, but Usyk was able to come away with the decision victory.
Oleksandr Usyk would go on to successfully defend his second title by stopping Daniel Dubois in the 9th round. Next on Usyk’s agenda was a match against another heavyweight who is considered the best of the moment.
On the night of May 18, 2024, in a fight for the undisputed world title, WBC champion Tyson Fury got off to a good start as he stayed on the outside, used the ropes, and kept punching. In number 2, Usyk stayed on the front foot, sliding from one to the other and landing both a jab and a drop to the body.
For most of the first half of the fight, Usyk was the offensive player, but Fury did a good job of controlling the range and punching off the feet. After a solid body shot from Usyk, Fury ended the sixth round by connecting with a sharp uppercut that hurt Usyk.
During the second half of the fight, the southpaw Usyk continued to press forward, from side to side, pressing both physically and mentally. Late in the 9th round, Usyk landed a hard left shot that rocked Fury. Usyk fired a flurry of punches while Fury staggered around the ring until he finally went down.
Fury survived the knockdown, but in the end, Usyk was the stronger and more active. At the end of the 12-round contest, Oleksandr Usyk won by split decision and became the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999.
Usyk also made it a career to win the uncontested title in two categories. A few weeks after his historic victory, Usyk was stripped of his IBF title. Now, his rematch against Tyson Fury is a unified world title.
Tyson Fury is the key to the rematch because he is the one to fix. In the first half of the first fight, Fury was punching well until he made a critical mistake. So the question is, will Fury try to repeat his flawless performance, or will he fight on the front foot and become the bully?
Oleksandr Usyk is a matchup nightmare because he has superior boxing skills, footwork, and ring IQ. His opponent, Tyson Fury, is a master when it comes to making the necessary adjustments. That said, on December 21st, when Usyk and Fury face off for the second time, will it be a repeat or redemption?
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