Seven months after a thrilling first fight, unified 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 , on December 21 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN PPV.
The first meeting between Usyk and Fury was an instant classic, as Fury controlled the first half of the fight and Usyk looked dominant in the rest. The long-awaited 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 turn out to be a very entertaining trilogy between Tyson Fury and hard-hitting WBC champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder. In the first bout, Wilder’s power was on display as he scored a knockdown in the 9th round.
In the 12th and final round, Deontay Wilder landed a two-three combination that seemed to knock Tyson Fury out cold. When the judges counted to 6, Fury appeared as WWE wrestler ‘The Undertaker’. Wilder scored two knockdowns, but Fury outworked Wilder in most of the other rounds.
At the conclusion of the 12-round contest, the fight was declared a split decision draw. Fury and Wilder would cross paths two more times as Fury was able to come away with two convincing victories.
After the trilogy with Wilder, Fury also stopped Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora. In October 2023, Fury had a weak performance as he defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou by split decision. Seven months after the Ngannou fight, Fury entered the ring to take part in a historic battle.
After dominating the cruiserweight division, Oleksandr Usyk made his heavyweight debut back in October 2019 when he stopped Chaz Witherspoon in the 7th round. A year later, Usyk defeated Derek Chisora by unanimous decision.
The former cruiserweight king will face the unified world heavyweight champion. On the night of September 25, 2021, Oleksandr Usyk outplayed Anthony Joshua and won the world title fight by unanimous decision. With the victory, Usyk became the new world champion in the heavyweight category according to the VBA, WBO and IBF versions.
Eleven months later, the man considered one of the best heavyweights of this era, Anthony Joshua, got a rematch against Alexander Usyk. Joshua made adjustments to make the rematch more competitive, but Usyk still managed to get a split decision win.
Oleksandr Usyk would go on to make a second successful defense of his unification title by stopping Daniel Dubois in the 9th round. Next on Usyk’s agenda was a match against another heavyweight who is considered one of the best of this era.
On the night of May 18, 2024, in a fight for the undisputed world heavyweight crown, WBC champion Tyson Fury got off to a good start as he stayed on the outside, used his feints and landed a consistent punch. In round #2, Usyk stayed on the front foot, sliding from side to side and landing both jabs and lefts to the body.
For most of the first half of the fight, Usyk was the aggressor, but Fury controlled the range well and boxed on the back foot. After landing solid shots to Usyk’s body, 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, sliding from side to side, applying both physical and mental pressure. Late in the 9th round, Usyk landed a hard left hand that staggered Fury. Usyk continued to land a flurry of punches as Fury staggered around the ring until he finally fell.
Fury survived the knockdown, but down the stretch, Usyk was the stronger and more active fighter. At the end of the 12-round contest, Oleksandr Usyk won by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999.
Usyk also accomplished the feat of winning the undisputed crown in two divisions. Weeks after his historic win, Usuki was stripped of his IBF title. Now his rematch against Tyson Fury is a unique world title fight.
Tyson Fury is the key to the rematch because he is a man who has to adapt. In the first half of the first fight, Fury boxed well on the back foot until he made a critical mistake. So the question is, will Fury try to duplicate his performance by omitting the mistake, or will he fight from the front foot and be the aggressor?
Oleksandr Usyk is a matchup 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 said, on December 21st, when Usyk and Fury face off for the second time, will it be a repeat or redemption?