Usyk puts his WBA (super), WBC and WBO world heavyweight titles on the line when he faces Fury on December 21.

It will be their second meeting following their May showdown, where the Ukrainian edged out the Brit by split decision to become the undisputed champion.

The rematch is just over a week away, but if either fighter withdraws from the Riyadh clash, then a contract clause is set to be triggered.

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For their first fight, which was rescheduled following a cut sustained to Fury in sparring, Turki Alalshikh inserted a penalty should either man back out of the contest.

He said that Usyk or Fury would be required to pay their rival a sum of £10 million if they pulled out of the match.

“I guarantee both of the fighters £10m if someone escapes from the fight. This is the first thing, and the second thing – I guarantee a big fight on the same night for another one,” he said on The MMA Hour, ahead of the first fight, which took place on May 18 following the cancellation of the original February 17 date.

“Make the people around the world know if someone is scared and wants to escape from this fight,” the Saudi boxing chief added.

Usyk seemingly confirmed that the same clause is written in the contract ahead of their rematch.

During an interview with his app Ready To Fight, he said: “He has a contract and so do I until Dec 31st, we have to hold this fight up to and including [that date].

“If he pulls out December 21, he will lose all of his money and dividends and won’t be a man of his word anymore.”

There have been no suggestion that Usyk vs. Fury 2 will be postponed, with both fighters seemingly fit and healthy prior to renewing hostilities next weekend.

Tyson Fury clowned around in the boxing ring and found that it always doesn’t end well. Not only did he drop the fight, but he also missed out on the chance to solidify his history. After all, the undisputed crown was on the line. But what exactly happened? How did Oleksandr Usyk shatter his defense and his perfect record?

Fabio Wardley explained it all when he appeared in a TNT Boxing Sports analysis video. The fans witnessed Fury, 36, making a strong start in the fight against Usyk, 37, but the latter turned the tide toward the middle rounds. How did the Ukrainian fighter suddenly find ‘Gypsy King’s kryptonite and double down on the glaring holes in the game plan? Wardley, 29, believed it was because of Fury’s lazy punching.

The British champion pointed out that Fury’s lead hand was low, which invited Usyk to land. In addition, he believed only landed a jab at a time, not putting high volume or work rate. It resulted in Usyk landing his combinations on counters after he figured out the timing of those jabs. Wardley, at 18-0-1, said, “I think a lot of Fury’s downfall as well was one, again, easily identifiable. There is that low lead hand, which is very inviting.”

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He continued, “Especially bad now is it seems, where Usyk is up a gear… He wants to be throwing punches. But also in Fury, not putting his punches together. Just one jab, two jab, maybe a one-two. But not really putting anything together. And you’ll see coming off of that one right hand, pretty lazy, gets hit with a combination. Single shots, again, from Fury. Not really doing too much. Whereas, then Usyk comes in one-two, firing and nice and sharp change of pace.”

But now the question is whether Fury will plug the holes. Will he start with his corner and make some changes there? It seems like it.

Last time around, the Manchester native had SugarHill Steward, Andy Lee and his father, John Fury. All three voices ended up creating dissonance during the fight, and it could be the reason the former WBC champion lost his gold strap. But Lee has clarified that there will be only one man shouting instructions during the rematch—Steward.

Leee said, “There [were] a lot of voices in the corner–we were in a dire situation and had to get him back to himself. His dad was giving him great advice, I thought. But he’s also a dad, and that’s his son. ‘Suga’ should have been the only voice, and he will be the only voice in the next fight.” That’s not it. Fury has decided to add more mass to his frame, too. It remains to be seen how these two changes affect Fury’s rematch now.

Billy Joe Saunders has told talkSPORT exactly what Tyson Fury needs to do in order to beat Oleksandr Usyk.

The pair are set to rematch on December 21 in Riyadh after the Ukrainian conquered the Brit in their first meeting.

Back in May, Fury seemed to be finding a real rhythm in the fight as it hit the halfway point.

He even buckled Usyk’s legs with an uppercut in the sixth.

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However, in the second half of the contest things took a drastic turn.

Usyk broke Fury’s nose with a clean shot in round eight and then famously, in the ninth, hurt him badly.

The Brit was pummelled all around the ring and came close to being stopped as the referee called a knockdown in the Ukrainian’s favour.

After this, Fury recovered but was unable to regain the rhythm he’d found earlier in the contest.

Usyk won via split decision, with most observers believing him to be a clear winner when the final bell rang.

According to the scorecards though, the knockdown and subsequent rounds were key in deciding the contest.

Reflecting on this, Fury’s long-time friend Saunders told talkSPORT Drive: “Look if Fury does what he needs to do, I’m sure he knows he’s got to train smart now and not hard.

“Minus the knockdown last time he won the fight.

“And how did the knockdown come? He got caught with a shot when he was [switched off].

“You can’t switch off.

“One thing with Usyk, that’s why he’s that level, you can’t switch off for a second.

“You need to stay engaged and switched on until the final bell.

“Because if you’re winning nine rounds, ten rounds, eleven rounds – he’s that good, anything can happen.

“So you’ve got to be switched on and I think he wins it easy.”

Fury’s target weight for the rematch is already becoming a talking point.

According to talkSPORT boxing pundit Gareth A Davies, Fury is aiming to come in around the 19st 7lbs mark (273lbs) – almost a stone heavier than he was for their first fight at 18st 10lbs (262lbs).

“When Tyson beat Klitschko nine years ago he was a 27-year-old, very light on his feet, he bamboozled opponents with those telescopic arms, his movement and tying fighters up,” said Davies on talkSPORT Fight Night.

“That version went away in the three fights with Deontay Wilder, certainly the second and third fights where he became a bigger hitter at 19 and a half stone.

“I’m told internally from his camp that is where they intend him to be for Usyk in this fight, 19 and a half stone.”

Two-time heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury was left confused by Oleksandr Usyk’s “don’t be afraid” comment ahead of their blockbuster rematch this month.

The Ukrainian became the first man to defeat Fury in a professional setting after scoring a split-decision victory back in May. The two heavyweight stars will once again go head-to-head in the squared-circle on December 21 as ‘The Gypsy King’ will be desperate to get his revenge.

Ahead of the sequel, Fury insisted that he will be looking to knock his heavyweight rival out. Speaking in an interview ahead of the console release of the boxing video game ‘Undisputed’, when asked what tactic he preferred out of staying on the outside or stepping into a fighter, Fury answered: “I don’t know. It’s horses for courses isn’t it? It all depends on what I need to do on the night. I needed to get Wilder out of there or he got me out of there and that’s the type of fight it had to be.

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“It had to be a 50/50 gunsling with the biggest puncher in history or else he’d have chinned me in round nine. Going into the rematch with Usyk, it’s going to be the same. I’m going to roll the dice and it’s going to be you or me… best foot forward and swing away. I’ve never been afraid to get knocked spark out. I’ve always put it on the line every time.”

He added: “There’s no secret! I’m going in there to knock you out because I don’t think I’m going to get a decision no matter what I do. I don’t think I’m going to get a boxing decision, so I’m going to have to take it out of the judges hands like I did in America that time and I’ve got to get him (Usyk) out of there. Hand on heart, I have to get him out of there to see victory.”

With a little over two weeks to go until the rematch, the two men faced off to discuss the upcoming clash. Speaking on the DAZN YouTube channel, Usyk was asked if he felt as if Fury ran from him in the first outing, to which he replied: “I said ‘not run, don’t be afraid.’ I will not leave you alone again.”

Baffled by the comments, Fury responded: “What does that even mean? Don’t be afraid… of a boxing match? I’ve had many boxing matches before and not been afraid. I’m sure you have as well, you’ve had 300 amateur fights, you’re not going to be afraid of a boxing match. I don’t really make much of that.”

Following the first encounter, Fury revealed it was Usyk’s divine right to emerge victorious from their undisputed heavyweight title fight. Speaking at the launch press conference of the highly-anticipated rematch in Ocotber, Fury said: “It’s actually been about four and half years – the Deontay Wilder II fight – since I was the underdog in a fight. I’m looking forward to a fantastic fight. Oleksandr won the first fight fair and square.

“It was very close last time. I’ll be a bit more focussed, a lack of complacency and I should do the job. Nothing drastic has to change. A bit more of the same, a bit more focused, and I will be victorious. Last time it wasn’t my time to win or God would have given me victory. I’m very happy Usyk got the decision. That was meant to be, and we’re going to find out what is meant to be on December 21.

“I believe it’s my time this time and all things that happen – positive or negative – are lessons and we must learn from these things as humans, boxers, fathers and husbands. What we know is to go out there and knock each other out and put on a show for the paying customer. I hope you guys will enjoy this fight as much as I will.”

Oleksandr Usyk believes Tyson Fury is the hardest opponent he has ever faced, but stresses he expects a different fight to their first bout when they meet in their rematch.

The pair meet on December 21 at Riyadh Arena after the Ukrainian prevailed in their original meeting earlier this May.

Usyk joined a rare band of heavyweights to become unidsputed world champion, handing Fury a first-ever career loss when the pair of them met in Saudi Arabia.

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Speaking on DAZN’s FACE OFF before their upcoming bout, the former admitted he was looking forward to their rematch, and suggested he is the toughest foe he has faced.

“Because Tyson knows what I do and I know what Tyson, it will be a different fight,” he said. “I think [he is my toughest rival].

“Listen, I have much respect for all my opponents because it’s boxing, it’s a tough sport. It’s a very dangerous sport.

“This man is very famous around the world, he’s a big man, I’m a small man, he is a big man. But we have a second fight.

“Boxing, it’s not a play. Boxing is a hard sport. [It is] tough, When I’m back home after a fight, my body tells me [to not do it again].”

Usyk, unbeaten across multiple weights, could well go for a trilogy with Fury if he loses for the first time, but otherwise may head back to cruiserweight.