Usyk vs. Fury 2: Everything about heavyweight superfight

The fight Usyk vs. Fury is scheduled for December 21 in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. The boxers will enter the ring at the local Kingdom Arena. Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, holding the WBA, WBC, and WBO belts, will face former multi-division champion Tyson Fury. Unlike their first bout, the winner of this clash will not claim the title of undisputed heavyweight world champion.

Where to watch Usyk vs. Fury 2

In Ukraine, the fight will be broadcast by the MEGOGO video service. A comprehensive analytical studio with invited experts will be prepared for the Saudi Arabia boxing evening. The broadcast on the media service will start at 6:50 p.m. Kyiv time with the studio segment.

The studio hosts will be Artem Panchenko and Oleksandra Kucherenko. Guests will include Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling champion Zhan Beleniuk, journalist Andriy Rozanov, former boxer Roman Kapitonenko, and promoter Vladyslav Yelyseyev. In addition, online appearances by military personnel, sports stars, and celebrities are planned.

Volodymyr Kobelkov will provide live commentary from Kingdom Arena for the main event and Daniel Lapin's light heavyweight bout against France's Dylan Colin. Other fights will be commented on from the Kyiv studio by Serhiy Lukianenko and Dmytro Avetisyan, with Lukianenko having already shared a detailed prediction for Usyk vs. Fury 2.

Bookmakers' predictions for Usyk vs. Fury 2

Bookmakers favor Oleksandr Usyk as the winner, with the Ukrainian's most likely outcome being a points victory.

• Odds for Usyk's win: 1.72.
• Odds for Fury's win: 2.25.
• Odds for a draw: 18.00.

The fight is expected to go the full 12 rounds, with Usyk emerging victorious by judges' decision as the most anticipated result.

Payouts for Usyk vs. Fury 2 rematch

The total purse for the fight is $190 million, split 60%-40% in Usyk's favor. This means Usyk will receive $114 million, while Fury will earn $76 million. The Ukrainian champion will set a new personal record for prize money.

For their first bout, Usyk earned "only" $38 million. At that time, Fury was the star of the unification bout and had the upper hand in the revenue split. Despite losing to Usyk by a split decision, Fury earned up to $100 million in the spring fight.

Undercard for Usyk vs. Fury 2

The rematch between the Ukrainian and British boxers will headline a grand boxing evening. A series of smaller bouts will warm up the audience before the main event.

The undercard includes eight fights, with three featuring Ukrainian boxers:

• Daniel Lapin vs. Dylan Colin in the light heavyweight division.
• Serhiy Bohachuk vs. Ishmael Davis in the junior middleweight division.
• Andriy Novytskyi vs. Edgar Ramirez in the heavyweight division.

Full Undercard Lineup:

• Mohammed Alakhel (Saudi Arabia) vs. Joshua Ocampo (Colombia).
• Andriy Novytskyi (Ukraine) vs. Edgar Ramirez (Mexico).
• Daniel Lapin (Ukraine) vs. Dylan Colin (France).
• Isaac Lowe (UK) vs. Lee McGregor (UK).
• Peter McGrail (UK) vs. Rhys Edwards (UK).
• Johnny Fisher (UK) vs. David Allen (UK).
• Moses Itauma (UK) vs. Demsey McKean (Australia).
• Serhiy Bohachuk (Ukraine) vs. Ishmael Davis (UK).

(x.com/Turki_alalshikh)

Key events leading up to Usyk vs. Fury 2

The fight was initially scheduled for October 2024 in Riyadh, with the rematch clause activated by "The Gypsy King." The new date was later set for December 21.

In June, Usyk voluntarily relinquished the IBF title, prioritizing the rematch with Fury over a mandatory title defense. In September, Britain's Daniel Dubois became the IBF champion.

An AI-based judge will monitor Usyk vs. Fury 2, the first time such technology will be used in boxing history. The new AI referee is designed to eliminate bias and human error when judging the fight. However, its verdict will not affect the official results of the fight - the experiment is purely demonstrative in nature.

At the pre-fight staredown following the press conference, neither Usyk nor Fury backed down. The psychological duel lasted 11 minutes and 20 seconds. While Usyk remained calm, Fury made aggressive statements, threatening to "destroy" the Ukrainian in the ring.

The referee for the December 21 fight will be Roberto Ramirez Jr. from Puerto Rico, with judges Gerardo Martinez (Puerto Rico), Pat Morley, and Steve Weisfeld (both USA). Weisfeld replaced another American, Fernando Barbosa, at the last minute. Barbosa is a member of the ESPN team. Given that Fury has a contract with the channel, his appointment initially seemed strange.

Before the fight, Usyk met with about 40 Ukrainian defenders who traveled to Riyadh to support the champion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke with Usyk via video call, asking the champion to win without overly insulting Fury, emphasizing Britain's role as Ukraine's ally in its fight against Russia.

At the weigh-in ceremony, Usyk carried a flag calling for the release of prisoners from Azovstal. The Ukrainian weighed in at 102.5 kg, gaining only 1 kg since their last encounter. Fury tipped the scales at 127.4 kg, significantly heavier than his pre-May fight weight of 118.8 kg.

(x.com/Turki_alalshikh)

Discussions have already examined potential scenarios depending on whether Usyk wins or loses the rematch.