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Following his latest win over Tyson Fury this past weekend to retain his heavyweight titles, Oleksandr Usyk appeared at the post fight press conference to talk to the media about his thoughts on the win.

Here’s some of what Usyk had to say about the fight.

Usyk on what he was thinking heading into the last round of the fight

“I don’t think about it, I’m just boxing. I’m just continue my plan, what say Yuri, my coach.”

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On whether this second fight was easier than the first

“Fight was easy — not easy but easier.”

On his bond with Fury after two full fights at the highest level of the sport

“Tyson my best friend. Listen, I very respect this guy because I think it’s very tough, my opponent. Tyson Fury make me strong…Tyson is a great opponent, it’s a big man, a tough boxer. It’s a good man. Tyson, a lot of talk, yeah? It’s just show. I very respect Tyson Fury. 24 rounds, listen, now is already history.”

On Fury calling the win a Christmas gift and Frank Warren saying he can’t see how the judges scored the fight for him

“Uncle Frank, I think blind. If Tyson say it’s Christmas gift, okay. Thank you God, not Tyson…Listen, Frank crazy man, you know, I think. That’s my opinion. Ok, no problem. I win.”

Tyson Fury has reportedly made a decision as to whether he will fight again Fury was beaten on points for a second time by Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday 

Tyson Fury has revealed his future career plans just one day after suffering defeat in his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

In the lead-up to Saturday’s showdown the 36-year-old vowed to be all business from the opening bell having previously faced criticism for his antics in his first encounter with Usyk.

Throughout many of the early rounds Fury marched forward, utilising all 281lbs of his gargantuan frame to keep the Ukrainian on the back foot.

Much as it did in the first fight the momentum began to swing in Usyk’s favour in the later rounds as he repeatedly found a home for well-timed counters in combination.Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury

Once again both men survived to hear the final bell and all eyes turned to the judges with the world title on the line.

This time all three judges ruled the same, scoring the fight 116-112 in the defending champion’s favour and condemning Fury to the second defeat of his professional career.

After remonstrating with promoter Frank Warren after the scores were read out, Fury stormed out of the ring without conducting a customary post-fight interview, leading to questions surrounding his future in the sport.

However, according to a report from The Sun, Fury’s fighting days are not over just yet.

A source told the publication that after returning to the UK, Fury told close friends: ‘It’s not over.’

While another shot at redemption against Uysk is not out of the question, an all-British heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua could soon be on the horizon.

The bitter rivals have engaged in a long-running war of words and could soon settle their differences inside the ring.

Speaking following Saturday’s showdown Warren insisted that Fury vs Joshua is the fight to make if the Gypsy King elects to continue fighting.

He told The Sun: ‘It’s what people will want to watch. Tyson Fury

‘The Fury/Joshua fight is a great fight and if it happens it will be a mega fight, it will be brilliant.

But it will only happen if Tyson wants to do it and that’s a big if. And if he doesn’t want to do it, then so be it.’

Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn agreed: ‘The reality is there’s only one fight for Tyson Fury and that’s Anthony Joshua.’

‘It’s the biggest fight probably in the history of British boxing, everyone will always want to see it.

‘For me, AJ against Fury is the one, it’s the one at Wembley, I’m going to be pushing His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] to make the fight.’

Fury and Joshua had been scheduled to clash in 2022, while the former was still the WBC heavyweight champion.

Negotiations had been ongoing for a bout in December of that year before collapsing, with Fury instead defending his title against Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Joshua’s last fight came in September when he was stopped in the fifth round by Daniel Dubois for the IBF title.

Tyson Fury stormed out of the ring after his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk before taking aim at the ‘Larry Holmes’ judges who scored the heavyweight title rematch

In a fiery response to his defeat in the heavyweight title rematch, Tyson Fury blasted that Oleksandr Usyk received an early Christmas present. An incensed Fury departed the ring without indulging in the customary post-fight interview after digesting the judges’ scoring of his loss to the Ukrainian champion.

The closely contested bout concluded with Usyk keeping his WBC, WBA and WBO titles, with 116-112 scorecards favoring him across the board. Fury vented his frustration backstage, asserting: “Honestly, I thought I won by three rounds”.

Despite various opinions on whether Fury or Usyk triumphed, including from an AI judge, the official judges harshly scored against Fury’s performance during the latter half. Judge ‘Jerry’ Martinez awarded Fury three of the first five rounds but then assigned the following six straight to Usyk, save for the final round which went to the Gypsy King.Tyson Fury given 'simple' tactic to beat Oleksandr Usyk in rematch - Mirror  Online

  • Tyson Fury fumes at Oleksandr Usyk loss in backstage footage after skipping interview
  • AI judge scorecard for Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk released in boxing first

Patrick Morley started by giving Fury four of the initial five rounds, yet sided with the champion for the next seven. The third judge, Ignacio Robles, only gave Fury one of the last seven rounds, despite initially having him ahead after five.

Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, expressed his outrage over the scoring that he found utterly unbelievable. “It’s impossible,” Warren declared.

“How did Tyson only get four rounds in this fight? Everyone across the front all thought the same way. It’s nuts. Did you only give him four rounds. Nuts. I don’t get it. Really disappointed with that.

“I thought Tyson was in control. Thought he boxed extremely well. One judge didn’t give him any round from round six onwards. How can that be? Same with the other judge here. He gave him one round of the last six. It’s crazy. A nonsense.

“Oscar de le Hoya and I had him [Fury] winning by three or four rounds. What fight were they watching? You lose you lose, that’s fair enough. But come on. It’s nuts.

Following a second successive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia with world titles on the line, Tyson Fury was naturally asked about his future in the sport.  

Having retired a handful of times already, fans could be forgiven for taking his career announcements with a pinch of salt.

Those announcements came from a position of great power – one of boxing’s top draws and an undefeated heavyweight champion.

TYSON FURY

JUST IN: Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury to retain unified heavyweight championship – as it happened

Now, a Ukrainian he often belittled as a blown-up middleweight – whom he also chastised Anthony Joshua for losing to twice – has, you guessed it… beaten him twice.

The two-time heavyweight champion stormed out of the ring once his promoter Frank Warren showed him the scorecards for the fight which read 116-112 across the board from the human judges and 118-112 from the first-time ever AI judge.

Backstage, Fury insisted to the following pack of media that he had won that fight by at least three rounds.

Without saying he was cheated in Saudi Arabia, the Brit would heavily imply it.

In the press conference, he was flatly asked what’s next for him after coming up short in undisputed and then unified title fights, signalling the first losses of his entire professional career.

‘You might see me fight again, you might not,’ he cryptically answered.

But most of the boxing world suspects we do indeed see him fight again and finally, against Anthony Joshua.

The domestic dust-up has been mooted for the best part of a decade, ever since Fury first became champion when he dethroned Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.

Just over four months later, Joshua became a champion in his own right by demolishing Charles Martin inside two rounds at the O2 Arena, and the all-British clash looked like the obvious fight to make.

Yet fans have still never seen Fury and Joshua settle their differences inside the ring. That could soon change.

Both men would be entering the bout off the back of defeats after Joshua was dominated by Daniel Dubois in September, but there remains interest in how it would all unfold.

We could find out in 2025, with Wembley Stadium beckoning for what remains arguably the biggest commercial fight in world boxing.

Alternatively, Fury could finally walk away once and for all. The two-time heavyweight king has climbed to the top of the mountain, beating the likes of Klitschko and Deontay Wilder along the way.

Now, he has a big decision to make over whether to fight on or hang up his gloves for good.

Oleksandr Usyk emerged victorious over Tyson Fury again on Saturday, winning on points – just as he did in their first fight.

Except this time, it was a clearer win for Usyk, according to the judges. While the Ukrainian was a split-decision winner in May, this time he won by unanimous decision.

In his first fight with Fury, Usyk secured scorecards of 115-112 and 114-113, while the other judge favoured the Briton 114-113. With that, Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion in Riyadh.

Tyson Fury (left) lost to Oleksandr Usyk on all three scorecards in their rematch

JUST IN: Oleksandr Usyk topples Tyson Fury in dominant rematch performance

And in the same Saudi city, Usyk earned scorecards of 116-112 from every official on Saturday, with Gerardo Martinez, Pat Morley and Ignacio Robles judging the bout at ringside.

Below are the official, round-by-round scorecards from the judges, followed by a detailed breakdown of how Indy Sport scored the bout…

The official scorecards for Usyk vs Fury 2

Round one

Both men run to the centre of the ring. Usyk seems to stumble back upon a right hook to the body from Fury, within the first five seconds. Whereas Fury was on the back foot for much of the first fight, he tries to take the centre of the ring from the first bell this time. Usyk lands two crosses to the body, blocks a left hook, and fires two more straights to the torso. He charges Fury with a longer combination, though both men land. Fury with a long right hand to the body, then a jab there. He looks two weight classes bigger. Usyk with a cross upstairs, then we see the first clinch of the fight. Usyk already taking the centre of the ring away from Fury. Palpable tension. Usyk 10-9 Fury.

Round two

Fury trying to find the southpaw with jabs, but Usyk keeping good range and a high guard. Two crosses by Usyk, attacking the body, then some jabs to the same target. Usyk holding the middle of the ring, and throwing greater volume of output. Fury skids a right cross off Usyk’s head, but the Ukrainian avoids the worst of the impact. Fury burrows a right uppercut into the body. He stings Usyk with a cross to the head – the best shot of the fight, but not enough to win the round. Usyk 10-9 Fury.

Round three

Fury with a decent left hook, before Usyk closes range and lands two clubbing shots and complains that Fury’s counter hit the back of his head. Another quick left hook by Fury, but Usyk evades the follow-up one-two. Usyk on the offence. Another clinch. Some clumsier work from both men, as they try to assert dominance. Fury attacking the body now. Two slick lefts from Fury, who gets some blood dripping from Usyk’s nose. Usyk 9-10 Fury.

Round four

Usyk with a good start, but Fury fires back to keep it close. Usyk with a flurry to the body, Fury replies with one hard shot upstairs. Left hand and right by Usyk, eliciting “ooo”s from the crowd. He follows up. Usyk feinting level changes, feeling himself now. Fury takes the centre, trying to arrest momentum, while Usyk stays mobile. Fury with a solid right hand. Usyk trying to keep perspective and play the long game by targeting the body. Still so tense. Usyk 10-9 Fury.

Round five

Lots of clinching early in the round, with Fury using his massive frame to lean on the champion and fire off short punches. Fury lands a close-range uppercut, and Usyk winces then shakes his head. Fury tries to clinch again, but the referee separates them. Fury on the front foot for now. Usyk with good body work, then going to the head. Right uppercut to Usyk’s body. The champion skips around but breathes heavily. Right hook to his body by Fury. Two more swipes at the body, but Usyk smiles and fires off a barrage of headshots. Usyk ends strong, but… Usyk 9-10 Fury.

Round six

Usyk goes to the body then the head. More lead-hand activity from Fury, lots of jabs. He’s making it harder for Usyk to close range, which was an issue for the Ukrainian for a long spell in the first fight. Right cross lands for Fury, decent left hook. Better moment for Usyk now, putting together combinations – going from body to head again. Clean cross by Usyk, which Fury felt! More headshots from Fury. Good end to the round by Usyk, to take it for sure. Usyk 10-9 Fury.

Round seven

Nothing of note landing for either man, but Fury is in the centre and keeping an active lead hand. Some boos, for the first time, due to the relative lack of action. Fury eats a left cross upstairs! Now Usyk attacks the body. Fury goes southpaw late in the round. Usyk 10-9 Fury.

Round eight

Usyk stalking Fury, who lands an uppercut, the sort that worked so well in May. Clash of heads, but only a brief break. Good body work by Usyk, then Fury is warned for hitting the back of the head. Fury looking a bit tired and worried. But he comes back now. Only briefly, though, before Usyk lands to the head then the body. Really positive end to the round. Usyk 10-9 Fury.

Round nine

Usyk buzzing around Fury like a wasp – more vindictive than a bee! Fury trying to keep the Ukrainian off him. Fury trying to wear on Usyk in the clinch, but it’s a brief one. Hard body shot from the Briton, then two more with uppercuts. Usyk with his own body shots, but he walks onto another uppercut. And another! Fury using that shot that worked so well in the first fight. Both men land to the head. One-two to the body of Fury, one shot to the head. Body then head again. Cross by Usyk, as Fury breathes hard and backs off. Usyk might have snatched this round late… Usyk 10-9 Fury.

Round 10

Nice uppercut to the head by Fury. Usyk is marked under his left eye now. Fury with a flurry. One-two to Usyk’s body, then he leans on Usyk. Cross upstairs by Usyk, then two jabs. Fury again using the uppercut, and again wearing on the smaller man. Left hook at point-blank range by Fury. Usyk looks tired but he’s still throwing back, including a nice left hand. Busy end to the round by both men. Thrilling spell. Usyk 9-10 Fury.

Round 11

Fury comes forward, but Usyk attacks the body to deter the challenger. Usyk just looks half a step ahead right now. Usyk gets through with crosses to the head, cornering Fury. Fury with two hooks to the body. Rapid left cross by Usyk. Fury is bruised under the eyes. Usyk with another cross. He is turning the screw, and might just be sealing victory in these very seconds. Usyk 10-9 Fury.

Round 12

Hard right hook to Usyk’s body. Fury is getting after Usyk, having been given a talking-to by his corner, but Usyk stings Fury. Usyk is feinting in front of Fury, who looks nervous. But he lands a good uppercut and hook to the head. One-two by Fury! Both men land now. Usyk with a clean cross and left uppercut. Fury closes range and buries an uppercut into the body. Usyk 9-10 Fury.

A rematch is used in boxing to clear up unanswered questions, and Oleksandr Usyk did exactly that in his second win over Tyson Fury — this time by unanimous decision.

The pair clashed in Riyadh on Saturday night for the WBA, WBC and WBO world heavyweight titles, and this time around it was a clearer result.

After a tense build-up, Fury seemed back to his usual self, with a ringwalks which started with Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas’ before the Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Hypnotize’.

Usyk v Fury

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Annihilation was the word Fury was using when it came to what would transpire in the ring, and it was immediately obvious the “Gypsy King” wanted to dominate by taking control of centre ring in round one.

A chess match began to unfold with the two swapping roles, this time Usyk on the front foot and in the centre of the ring. Then, it was noticeable that this was a different Usyk fighting under the bright lights of Riyadh.

The Ukrainian has become known for his slick footwork and ability to weave away from any threats his opponents pose, but for his second encounter with Fury, he decided to take the fight to the former WBC heavyweight champion.

In rounds three and four, Usyk was marching Fury down, and landed a number of left hands to the head and body as he looked to slow down Fury and his 20 stone frame.

Fury had to try and seize control, and in round five it looked like there was a chance to do that as Usyk slowed down. Fury found success with a number of punches including a right to the body and the uppercut which caused so many problems in the first fight, but Usyk was using this period as a chance to recover before going up a gear once more.

From round six onwards, a pattern began to play out. While Fury did enjoy brief moments, Usyk always finished the rounds strong. His left hand was where all the danger was coming from and whenever it looked like Fury was on course to win a round, Usyk snatched it away with the more effective ring work.

With Usyk having a second wind towards the final three rounds, Fury’s best chance of stopping Usyk was to slow him down and he tried every weapon in his arsenal. From body shots to smothering in the clinch, Usyk shrugged them off and continued to come forward as he stalked his prey.

In the 12th and final round, it was clear, Fury needed a knockout if he was to get the win. Fury tried all he could, but despite the gruelling nature of this contest, Usyk still had the audacity and power to trouble the Brit, the stoppage however never came.

While it was a successive loss to Usyk to Fury, there was a clear improvement. At 20 stone and seeing him in the flesh, there were concerns as to whether someone with that frame can last 12 gruelling rounds against a pound-for-pound great.

Fury’s gigantic frame however lasted the full contest, and it was something to be admired and showed that the three-month training camp in Malta paid off.

But on the night, while Fury had glimpses in each of the rounds, Usyk was doing the more effective work which made sure the rounds were his, and this performance confirmed the Ukrainian as the world’s number one heavyweight.

For what Usyk will do next, there’s a myriad of options including an undisputed showdown with the winner of IBF champion Daniel Dubois’ clash with Joseph Parker on February 22 or even retirement.

Usyk will now do what he often does next: He will disappear from the boxing world as he enjoys the fruits of his labour. One thing is for sure however, everyone will await his next move with bated breath.

Tyson Fury has spoken out about the scorecards as he lost for a second time to Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia.

The Manchester native was defeated by Usyk for the first time in May, before pushing for an immediate rematch just a few months later. That second bout happened on Saturday night in Riyadh, with the Brit coming out on the wrong side of a unanimous decision of eight rounds to four.

His future now remains unclear, as Usyk seems to be moving towards either retirement or a rematch with Daniel Dubois, who stormed the ring to challenge his rival.

Tyson Fury loses close decision to Oleksandr Usyk in rematch

In front of a packed crowd of celebrities and fight fans at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Tyson Fury looked to become the first man to dethrone Oleksandr Usyk as a professional. The pair’s May meeting was a razor-close split decision, decided by a knockdown in the ninth that swung it to the Ukrainian.Tyson Fury | Fight, Usyk, Age, Height, Ngannou, & Wilder | Britannica

This time around, Fury piled on 19lb to weigh in at 288lb and looked every bit the bigger man as he lumbered through 12 rounds, clearly looking for the big shots that could fell Usyk. The ex-cruiserweight champion had tipped the scales at a career heaviest of 226lb, but was still 55lb less than his rival.

Ultimately, it was Usyk’s ability to move and stay limber while landing the biggest shots and outpunching his rival that got him the victory. All three judges were in agreement with a scorecard of 116-112, meaning Fury won just four rounds to Usyk’s eight.

Tyson Fury breaks his silence after losing to Oleksandr Usyk

As he was walking through the backstage area, Fury ran into his old trainer Ben Davison, who helped him to return to fitness after a lengthy spell out from 2015 to 2018 where he had ballooned to over 400lb. The pair shared a moment, which was captured by Sky Sports and seemingly IFL TV.

Anthony Joshua has reacted to Oleksandr Usyk’s much-talked-about victory over Tyson Fury with a one-word comment on social media.

After weeks of build-up, Usyk defeated Fury by unanimous decision (116-112, 116-112, 116-112) to retain his WBC, WBO and WBA heavyweight world titles at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Ukrainian landed several clean shots on his opponent throughout and rather predictably, he outworked a tired-looking Fury in the latter rounds.

Anthony Joshua's reaction to the Usyk vs Fury fight. Image credit: Instagram/anthonyjoshua

READ: “Bitter man with a chip on his shoulder”: Fury has the right mindset this time… he will stop Usyk

But many agreed that the 116-112 scoring in favour of Usyk was unfair given how close the fight was. In fact, footage has since emerged of Fury’s reaction to the defeat and well, he was far from happy.

So what did Anthony Joshua think? Well, the former two-time unified WBO, IBF, and WBA heavyweight champion gave Usyk the nod over Fury on his unofficial scorecard.

Joshua, who was scoring the fight for streaming service DAZN, scored the bout 115-114 in favour of Usyk, which was much closer than the judges’ final scorecard.

Taking to social media on Saturday night, AJ gave a one-word reaction to Usyk’s win. He wrote the word “respect” on his Instagram story alongside the Ukraine flag.

Eddie Hearn, who has called for Fury to fight Joshua at Wembley Stadium, said he thought Saturday night’s contest was a draw.

He added: “I couldn’t split them. I thought there were so many close rounds. I really struggled to split them, it was more of a chess match tonight, I had it very close. I just didn’t feel it was an 8-4 fight.”

Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, on the other hand, was in a state of disbelief after seeing the final result.

Armed with what appeared to be a paper copy of all three scorecards from the event, Warren gave a quite remarkable in-ring interview with Ade Oladipo.

“It’s nuts,” he said. “Did you have him as only winning four rounds out of eight? Very harsh. It’s nuts. I don’t get it. But it is what it is, and we’ll see what happens in the future with Tyson.”

Minutes later, TNT Sports reporter Jaydee Dyer spoke to Warren outside the ring, with the promoter analysing each copy of the scorecard he had been given while speaking to the camera.

He added: “Tyson was dumbfounded. They gave him four rounds out of the 12, which is impossible.

“I’ve been around a long time and I know I’m biased, but one judge didn’t give him, any rounds from round six onwards. Look! No rounds. How can that be? That’s impossible.

“Same with the other judge. They gave him one round in the last six, and the same here with this guy. It’s crazy. I’m calm and collected, I’m not screaming and shouting. That is a nonsense.

“Oscar de la Hoya had him [Fury] winning by three or four rounds. And he’s a neutral.”

I have seen a change in Tyson Fury since I’ve been here in Riyadh this week. A change that has convinced me he will reclaim his title.

Back in October, at the Guildhall press conference in London, Oleksandr Usyk stole the show. Dressed like a hitman, he got Fury to autograph a photograph of him delivering a punch to Fury’s jaw. When Fury signed it, I questioned why? He’d allowed Usyk to belittle him. Something he used to do himself to opponents.

It left me questioning his mindset, his professionalism and I fully expected Usyk to come into this fight with the upper hand.

Fury vs Usyk 2: Tyson Fury dragged away from 11-minute plus face-off with Oleksandr  Usyk - BBC Sport

JUST IN: Tyson Fury accused of ‘violating’ little-known boxing rule ahead of Oleksandr Usyk rematch

But I think walking away from that press conference, a switch flipped in Fury’s head. His pride kicked in and he questioned himself. I’ve often been critical of Fury and that’s because he is incredibly talented but rarely fights at 100 per cent of his real ability.

This time, perhaps riled by what happened in London, he has gone away to Malta for his training camp, made himself uncomfortable and got into the right head space. What we see now is bitter man with a chip on his shoulder.

A hungry fighter is a dangerous man but a hungry champion is unbeatable. Fury lost his hunger. The signs were there, falling out of pubs, not being professional, it had all become too easy, but I now see a different mentality and he looks to have his appetite back. Here’s how he can win…

After losing to Usyk, Anthony Joshua tried to put extra weight on thinking he could overpower him in the rematch, and it played into the Ukrainian’s hands. Fury will be heavy at just over 20 stone but he won’t make the same mistakes.

He needs to be offensive, apply calculated pressure and take Usyk out of a conventional environment. That means sailing close to the wind. Use the forearms, the elbows, maybe punch him in the balls on the blind side, ultimately make Usyk uncomfortable because that evokes emotion and that’s when mistakes happen.

Usyk is strong, fleet-footed, moves his body like an eel and will be looking to draw Fury out. Fury though will be looking to randomly throw shots over the top, change the angles and then look for the gap as Usyk is prone to raising his elbows and leaving the gate open for the uppercut. With his extra weight, I’m convinced that’s the punch that can end this fight in Fury’s favour.

Fury’s physicality has a big role to play in this fight. It’s no use sitting on the back foot with that extra height and weight. He needs to use that reach to pound in the straight jabs, establishing a pattern to open up Usyk’s defence a gap down the middle.

He is an intelligent boxer but he’s also the better fighter, smarter at using the dark arts. Usyk is a great boxer but he’s not a great fighter. His strength is his movement, his fighting science. He’s a clever counter puncher. He feeds off his opponent’s actions and makes them work at a pace that suits him. He’s got the greater discipline and may have the edge in mental strength and fitness too.

Fury’s legs aren’t what they used to be. He has not been professional enough with his lifestyle and that can take it’s toll. He is prone to clowning around at the wrong moment, as he did in the first encounter. It has become habit in most of his fights when he has that little switch-off.

In the 11 minute face-off on Thursday, it was Fury who was first to break into the verbals and Usyk had a wry smile as if to acknowledge a mental point gained. Usyk is vulnerable to body shots. Daniel Dubois proved that but wasn’t able to capitalise because Usyk played to the ‘low blow’, it wasn’t and it hurt him, you could see by the knee-jerk reaction. It’s no coincidence that the beltline and what is deemed the ‘low blow’ level were among the issues under discussion with officials yesterday.

This won’t go beyond six or seven rounds and I take Fury to win by a stoppage.

If it goes the distance, it will be a fight both will struggle to recover from physically.

Oleksandr Usyk’s camp are demanding that Tyson Fury shaves his beard ahead of their mega rematch on Saturday night, claiming it ‘violates’ boxing rules.

Fury, who is aiming to avenge his defeat to Usyk from earlier this year, has sported an impressive beard in Saudi Arabia during fight week.

In a statement released on the eve of the fight, Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk said: ‘[The] beard rule is grossly violated.

Boxing royalty predict result of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 ahead of  blockbuster heavyweight rematch | The Sun

READ: VIDEOS: Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 simulation predicts another 12-round affair with shock winner

‘WBC rules clearly say: “A boxer may spouse a trimmed beard and/or moustache as long as, in the discretion of the commission and the supervisor, the facial hair thickness does not: (1) cushion or in any way affect the impact or trajectory of punches; or (2) cause cuts or abrasions to his rival.”

‘So, Tyson Fury’s beard has to be trimmed. We will push it further.’

Fury’s promoter Frank Warren attempted to downplay the remarks from Team Usyk and said it was not uncommon for bearded boxers to enter the ring.

‘He has a beard and there’s been a lot of fighters over the years who’ve fought with beards, and that’s it,’ he told Sky Sports.

While Usyk’s representatives appear displeased by Fury’s look, the man himself has also downplayed the surprising talking point.

‘For me it doesn’t matter, for me,’ he told iFL TV shortly after the weigh-ins on Friday night. ‘It will not help Tyson Fury.’

Fury has kept his cards close to his chest during fight week but vowed to do some ‘f*****g damage’ as he prepares to re-enter the ring with Usyk in a mega rematch.

‘I’ve got nothing to say, apart from there’s going to be a whole lot of hurt and pain in this fight you watch,’ the Brit said.

‘That’s all I got to say. Talking’s been done. You know, the first fight I talked, I joked, through all my career.

‘This time I’m serious. I’m going to do some f*****g damage here on Saturday night. Watch me go to work on this f*****.’

Fury, 36, weighed in a career-high 20st 1lb for Saturday’s bout at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena. Usyk, 37, is exactly four stone lighter.

A bizarre face-off between the two fighters on Thursday night lasted more than ten minutes.

A victory for Fury could pave the way for a trilogy fight against Ukrainian Usyk or bouts with British rivals Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.

British boxing legend Lennox Lewis expects Fury to overturn his defeat in the first fight but only if he takes it ‘seriously’.

‘Tyson Fury wins this because he is the bigger man,’ Lewis told BBC Sport. ‘He will use his jab and needs to throw more punches than the first fight.

‘He can’t muck around and needs to be totally serious. Usyk is good at making you pay. He moves well and that movement is to make you miss and then make you pay.

‘It’s not easy to move around the ring for 12 rounds and I think it will come down to who seizes the moment, who has the best stamina and who punches the most accurate.’

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