Chris Oliver called the first instalment correctly, but what about the second? Read his in-depth analysis and best bet ahead of Usyk vs Fury 2.
Boxing betting tips: Usyk vs Fury 2
2pts Oleksandr Usyk to win by decision at 9/4 (William Hill)
Christmas comes early for boxing fans on Saturday night as Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury run it back after their thriller in May.
In the first undisputed heavyweight title fight for 25 years, the two unbeaten champions squared off to see who the best of a very good era for the glamour division really is, and it didn’t disappoint, as they served up classic in Saudia Arabia.
After 12 enthralling rounds, it was Usyk (22-0) who was awarded the split decision victory, but it was a very close fight, and I feel lucky that we get to see them do it again back in Riyadh this weekend.
Like all great contests, their first encounter ebbed and flowed, with both men enjoying success and having to endure some very tough moments.
Despite Fury (34-1-1) having all the physical advantages, it was Usyk who took the centre of the ring as soon as the first bell went and he was the aggressor, as Fury looked to box behind his jab. The first three rounds were close, but Fury started to have some notable success in the fourth stanza and began timing the oncoming smaller man.
That pattern continued in the next couple of sessions, as Fury held his feet more and found a home for his heavier shots. That was especially apparent in the sixth round, when Fury rocked Usyk to his boots with some beautiful uppercuts and the Brit seemed firmly in control at the halfway mark. It looks as though Fury had found his range and worked Usyk out.
However, like all great champions, Usyk produced a great response and, after ending the seventh round well, he started the eighth very fast and began to assert his dominance in emphatic fashion. As Fury slowed down and fatigue set in, Usyk went through the gears, and he was doing damage with his power shots from the southpaw stance.
Then came the big moment of the fight. With Fury bleeding from the nose and his attacks now a lot less threatening, he was punished for squaring his feet with a huge left-hand counter late in the ninth and, suddenly, was in a world of trouble. The ‘Gypsy King’ was teetering on the edge of his throne, as he stumbled around the ring in a daze for what seemed like an eternity while Usyk chased him in a bid to land the knockout blow.
The Ukrainian found the target with a few more shots but still Fury wouldn’t go down, and referee Mark Nelson could easily have been waving the fight off when he gave the Morecambe man a standing count for being held up by the ropes. If there had been longer left in the round, then Usyk may have got the stoppage, but the bell came to Fury’s rescue at the end of the standing count, and he staggered back to his corner.
Usyk took the 10th and 11th as his opponent looked to clear his head, but it is a credit to his unbelievable powers of recovery that Fury bounced back to claim the final round on all three judges’ scorecards.
After a tense wait, Fury and Usyk each received a verdict of 114-113, with the deciding judge scoring it 115-112 in the latter’s favour and his hand was raised after a dramatic fight for the ages. So, the 10-8 for Usyk in the ninth round won him the fight in the end and, while it was clearly tight, very few people argued with the result.
Fury was the slight favourite seven months ago, but the roles have been reversed following that first defeat of his career, as he is available at 5/4 this time and Usyk a best price of 5/6. Still, there is very little in it at the odds and, also just like last time, there is every chance that will be the case on the scorecards, too.
What can we learn from the first fight?
Despite 36 minutes of evidence to analyse, there are just as many questions ahead of the return as there were first time around. For a start, who learned the most from the first battle? And who can make the required adjustments?
Reportedly, Fury didn’t have the smoothest of preparations earlier this year. After a bad cut in sparring forced the fight to be postponed, his damaged eye didn’t have too much time to heal ahead of the quick three-month turnaround for May and Fury has been vocal this week about his lack of sparring hampering his training. Also, it was later revealed his wife, Paris, suffered a miscarriage in the week leading up to first fight and we don’t know how that affected Fury.
A potentially better camp may yield some improvement in Fury, and he showed us all the blueprint of how he can beat Usyk in the middle rounds. He had great success when able to control the distance with his long left hand, hold the centre of the ring and be the aggressor. During that period, he caught Usyk coming in with damaging shots and went to the body very well. If he can implement and sustain those tactics, then Fury can gain revenge and set up a historic trilogy fight.
However, it wasn’t by chance or lack of preparation that Fury tired so much that night. There is a familiar pattern to Usyk’s fights, as he makes his opponents work harder than they want to early on before stepping on the gas and dominating the second half of the bout. Fury has always done 12 rounds well, but no heavyweight has an engine like Usyk and that was evident as he went up a gear when Fury began to slow down. His ability to stand in range, slip punches and pivot around the target makes his foes throw shots when they would normally be looking for a breather and that pays dividends late on.
Even in the rounds Usyk was losing, Fury was made to fight at a pace he wasn’t comfortable with and that became apparent after halfway. Fury became less mobile, his punches lost their snap and his jab became lazy – all of which were punished by the fast hands and sniper-like accuracy of Usyk.
Another question to consider is, in a damaging and bruising fight for both, who came out of it worst?
Usyk was marked up and took plenty of punishment, but not as much as Fury, who was perilously close to being stopped as he swayed around the ring in the last 30 seconds of that ninth round. Even though he has been down plenty of times, it was shocking to see Fury in so much trouble and that image is hard to shake when trying to solve the puzzle of this rematch.
That could have been a sign of his punch resistance going or that Father Time was catching up with him – or both. As amazing as his comeback from huge weight gain was, that shortens careers and there have been a few hints that he may be on the slide a little now. After far-from-vintage performances against Dillian Whyte (TKO6) and Derek Chisora (TKO10) in 2022, he was awful when underestimating MMA fighter Francis Ngannou, when he was dropped and escaped with a razor-thin decision last year.
Add all that to his near capitulation against Usyk and it paints a picture of a man whose lifestyle may be catching up with him a little now.
Repeat verdict for Usyk?
While Usyk is a year older at 37, he has been a consummate professional throughout his career and hasn’t taken anywhere near as much punishment as Fury, so he looks the fresher of the two veterans.
Weighing in at 262lb last time, Fury was his lightest for over four years and the rumours are that he will be heavier for the return. That could mean a more aggressive version of Fury, like we saw in the rematch again Deontay Wilder when he battered the American over seven one-sided rounds, but Usyk is no Wilder and he is on another planet in terms of skill.
A heavier Fury could mean a more attack-minded approach, but also a less mobile Fury and that could spell trouble for him against Usyk. The latter’s footwork is something you just don’t see from heavyweights and, with hands as quick as his feet, he attacks from all sorts of angles. His relentless movement, feinting and switching up of the levels of attack force his opponents to constantly reset and he is a nightmare to fight.
The smaller man proved the puncher first time round, and Usyk now knows he can hurt his man, while a more aggressive Fury may also fancy his chances of doing damage. Despite that, I still think it will probably go the distance again and it is 5/6 that we hear the final bell. When both men know each other well and what they are capable of, it can make for a cagier affair, and I would not be surprised to see that play out here.
I tipped USYK TO WIN BY DECISION at 9/4 in May and I am backing him to repeat the dose in the rematch, at the same price.
CLICK HERE to back Usyk by decision with Sky Bet
Everyone is taking about Fury being better second time around, but Usyk is an extremely intelligent fighter, and I expect him to be better as well, with 12 rounds of data on Fury in his arsenal. Plus, while Fury has shown signs of a potential decline, Usyk appears if anything to be getting better.
As well as winning Olympic gold, Usyk has now achieved undisputed champion status at both cruiserweight and heavyweight. The extremely likeable man from Ukraine is a generational talent and, as much as I rate Fury, I find it very hard to go against the favourite here.
All four belts may not be on the line this time, thanks to the IBF stripping Usyk, but the stakes are just as high with their legacies on the line, especially for Fury. Both men will be ready to give it their all and the fans should be in for a treat again, but I think the champion can keep hold of his belts, even if it is by a narrow margin once more.
Posted at 1350 GMT on 20/12/24
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)
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