Usyk vs. Fury: What's known about heavyweight champions' battle
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk held a vibrant press conference in London (Photo: Getty Images)
The fight between Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk and Briton Tyson Fury for the title of undisputed heavyweight world champion will be the biggest event in the world of boxing in the last two decades.
All the news surrounding the Usyk vs. Fury bout is in RBC-Ukraine's material.
The Usyk vs. Fury fight will take place on February 17th in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. The boxers will step into the ring at the local Kingdom Arena. The exact start time of the match will be determined later. WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight champion Usyk will face off against WBC champion Fury. The winner will become the first undisputed heavyweight world champion in over two decades.
Bookmakers' forecast for the Usyk vs. Fury fight
At present, experts consider the Gypsy King as the favorite. The specialists at the Favbet bookmaker have set a slight coefficient of 1.60 for the victory of the British fighter. Meanwhile, the potential success of the Ukrainian champion is valued at 2.40. A rare draw in boxing can be placed at a significant odds of 18.00.
A patriotic bet with an early victory for Usyk is offered with a promising coefficient of 7.10. Enthusiasts of intense sensations can bet on the fight ending in a specific round. For instance, victory for either boxer in the fifth round will multiply the potential win by 21 times, while betting on the match ending in the third round has odds of 65.00.
Key events before the Usyk vs. Fury fight
On November 16th, in London, a joint press conference was held for both champions. They announced that the fight would take place on February 17th and exchanged sharp words towards each other. The staredown between Usyk and Fury almost resulted in a physical altercation.
The Fury team has requested to postpone the match until 2024. The reason for this decision is the condition of the British boxer after the encounter with Ngannou. According to Fury's camp, he will need more time to recover and prepare for a new fight.
At the end of October, the Gypsy King engaged in a tough bout against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou. The British boxer suffered a knockdown and managed to secure victory over the mixed martial artist only by the judges' decision. However, he himself sustained significant injuries.
Renowned promoter Bob Arum later disclosed the financial details of the fight. It turned out that the champions would not split the purse. The shrewd Arabian officials negotiated the prize amounts for Usyk and Fury separately with each boxer.
In September, Usyk and Fury agreed on a bout for the undisputed heavyweight championship. The definitive date for the fight between the Ukrainian champion and the British boxer holding the WBC title was not set at that time. Working options included December 23rd and January 2024.
Usyk and Fury's track records
The Ukrainian champion has competed in 21 professional bouts, winning every one of them, with 14 victories coming by way of knockout. He claimed the WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO titles after his initial triumph against Anthony Joshua and secured the vacant The Ring title after his second. In August of this year, Usyk scored a knockout win against British boxer Daniel Dubois.
The undefeated professional and the Gypsy King, Fury, has participated in 35 fights, ending 34 of them victorious, including 24 knockouts. However, his first bout against American boxer Deontay Wilder ended in a draw. In the autumn of 2015, he essentially concluded Vladimir Klitschko's career with a points victory, stripping the Ukrainian of all his titles.
