Usyk vs Fury 2: Former Champion Gunning for Revenge in the Rematch
Tyson Fury will head into his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on December 21 with revenge on his mind after suffering a humbling defeat in their first meeting.
Usyk (22-0 – 14 KOs) was crowned the undisputed world heavyweight champion after claiming a split-decision victory over his previously unbeaten opponent.
Fury (34-1-1 -24 KOs) was guilty of underestimating the Ukrainian fighter, who has successfully climbed from the cruiserweight division to reign supreme at heavyweight.
A quick search across betting sites in the UK highlights the size of the task facing Fury, with Usyk rated as the 4/6 favourite to record another victory.
With that in mind, read on as we preview the upcoming fight and assess what the future holds for both fighters based on the potential result.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2: Quest for Redemption in Rematch
Fury’s career is on the line
Having suffered the first defeat of his professional career in the first fight, Fury cannot afford to suffer another reverse in the rematch.
The British boxer looked short of conditioning in May, which allowed his opponent to dominate proceedings towards the latter end of the contest.
Fury has claimed he should have got the decision first time around, but only the most blinkered of his supporters would agree with that assessment.
Read More: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury II: Impressive Undercard Revealed
Promoter Frank Warren believes Fury will have learned from the first fight and has backed him to set the record straight by winning the rematch.
“His mentality is he’s got to knock him out to win,” Warren told Sky Sports. “So, it’s going to be exciting.”
“He knows what he did wrong. It was a fight of two halves and at one stage in the seventh round I genuinely thought he was going to stop him in the next round.
“Usyk wobbled going back to the corner and he came out and caught him with that shot on his nose that seemed to take all Tyson’s momentum and focus away.
“He believes he knows what he has to do. He’s got a great boxing brain and I genuinely believe he’ll come out as the victor.”
A win for the 36-year-old would set up the intriguing prospect of a third fight against Usyk, an outcome most neutral boxing fans will be craving.
Retirement is on the cards if he suffers another defeat, although a domestic dust-up with Anthony Johsua may have some attraction as a final pay-day.
However, if Fury is to remain relevant in the heavyweight division, he desperately needs to secure a statement victory over the reigning champion.
Trilogy or Unification Fight Awaits Usyk
Usyk does not have much to prove in boxing having conquered the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions during his professional career.
If the 37-year-old defeats Fury, his only viable option for a future fight would be against Daniel Dubois, who recently claimed the IBF title.
Usyk vacated the belt five weeks after becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion – a decision which gave Dubois and Joshua the chance to battle for it.
Read More: ‘Just Too Many Voices in the Corner’: Former Sparring Partner Speaks on Tyson Fury Support
Dubois demolished Joshua in five rounds and is now rated as the most likely contender to face Usyk next if he emerges victorious against Fury.
The 27-year-old was knocked out by Usyk in August 2023 but has bounced back to record three consecutive victories since then.
Warren believes he has improved since losing to the Ukrainian and has earned the right to have another crack at him if he beats Fury again.
“The fight I would like to see him in now is Usyk again,” Warren told BBC 5 Live. “He is a different Daniel Dubois – he is more mature physically and mentally.
Read More: Tyson Fury’s Eventful American Debut vs. Steve Cunningham
“He will go from strength to strength. He will be here for a while – he is a young man and has all the tools to take this division over.
“There is a clause (for a rematch with Joshua) in his contract but not in ours. But that’s not to say we wouldn’t do it. It’s something we’ll sit down and discuss.”
A second meeting with Dubois would probably appeal to Usyk as it would give him the chance to become the undisputed heavyweight champion for the second time.
However, he cannot afford to look any further ahead than his upcoming rematch with Fury, which has the potential to be a tricky contest if the former champion produces his best form.
Usyk vs Fury 2 card
- Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 – WBC, WBO & WBA heavyweight titles
- Israil Madrimov vs Serhii Bohachuk – super-welterweight
- Moses Itauma vs Demsey McKean – heavyweight
- Johnny Fisher vs Dave Allen – heavyweight
- Dennis McCann vs Peter McGrail – super-bantamweight
- Isaac Lowe vs Lee McGregor – featherweight
Michael is the CEO of Last Word On Sports INC and is happy to be involved with Big Fight Weekend. He is credentialed with several international governing bodies. He cites the Hagler-Leonard fight as his introduction to boxing--and what an introduction that was!
