Tyson Fury speaks out ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk (Image: undefined)
Deontay Wilder’s coach, Malik Scott, has opined that Oleksandr Usyk excels against larger opponents and argues that Tyson Fury’s heft will be inconsequential when he faces the Ukrainian fighter. The highly anticipated rematch is set to take place on December 21 in Riyadh.
In their initial bout last May, Usyk clinched a split-decision win over Fury, marking his first professional loss and claiming the title of the undisputed division champion—a distinction not achieved since 1999.
As the countdown to the monumental clash ticks down, with both boxers deeply immersed in training, it seems Fury is preparing to adjust his strategy for the upcoming brawl. According to talkSPORT’s boxing authority Gareth A Davies, Fury—known as ‘The Gypsy King’—is targeting to bulk up to 19 stone 7 pounds (273lbs), a noticeable increase from his previous fighting weight of 18 stone 10 pounds (262lbs) at their first showdown.
Fury appears set on working towards a knockout victory this time around, deviating from the more cautious approach seen in their first fight. “I’m going to go in there with destroy mode,” Fury declared boldly in a chat with Undisputed.
“Last time I went to box him, I was being cautious… Anybody can get caught as we have seen in a lot of these heavyweight fights.
“But this time I’m not going for a points decision. I’m going to knock that motherf***er out. For the first time in years, I’m going in there as a challenger, not a champion. And I believe that I’m better as a challenger, always, because I’ve got that goal of achieving something and it’s giving me a fire underneath.”
Malik Scott, a member of Oleksandr Usyk’s camp, believes that Fury’s plan to weigh in heavier for their potential rematch will not give him an advantage. Speaking to Jeffbet, Scott said: “Fury’s weight won’t matter. Usyk beats big men very well. They’re still talking about size, after all the big guys he beat? They’re still talking about coming in big? He’s beat Dubois. He’s beat AJ twice. He beat Fury once. He’s beat Joe Joyce before. Why are we still talking about size? When it comes to this guy, you need more than size to beat him.”
Scott emphasized that Usyk’s skills, not his size, are what make him a formidable opponent. “Skills pay bills, not size. Usyk is one of the best craftsmen to ever lace up a pair of gloves. We shouldn’t be talking about how big someone’s going to come in against him. How prepared are you skill-wise? How much are you drilling when you’re tired in the gym? If you can’t fight when you’re tired against him, bro, you’re dead. You’re just dead because he has an engine and the will.”
Scott also highlighted Usyk’s intense training regimen, which includes sparring with multiple partners in a single day: “Oleksandr Usyk believes training camp is to suffer. When he got ready for Joshua 2, he had 8 to 13 sparring guys, all big guys. There were times he was boxing seven guys in one day, and not three-minute rounds-four-minute rounds. And he’s fighting for more than himself. He actually fights bigger guys better than he fights smaller men. Hence why, to me, Michael Hunter was still his toughest fight.”