This was our preview of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – you can click here for a full report on how the Ukrainian genius became undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk is the biggest fight in boxing right now, and it WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT (Saturday May 18).
This bout SHOULD crown the sport’s first undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis back in 1999. Too often boxing politics has stood in the way, but hopefully not any more.
DAZN: Sign up to watch Wilder vs Zhang and Hrgovic vs Dubois!
Usyk’s split-decision victory over Anthony Joshua in their rematch in Saudi Arabia in August 2022 set him up for this showdown and he followed up by stopping Daniel Dubois in August 2023.
Fury meanwhile defeated Dereck Chisora in their trilogy last December and fought for the first time in 2023 with a controversial split-decision victory against Francis Ngannou on October 28.
Now the talking is almost over, fight night is fast approaching and we have a world heavyweight unification title bout. Good times, boxing fans.
When is Fury vs Usyk?
The bout had initially been due to take place on February 17, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That is until Fury sustained a ‘freak cut’ in sparring just over two weeks out.
That date was postponed but it is all systems go for the rescheduled date – tonight (May 18, 2024).
Ring walks for Fury vs Usyk are expected to take place at 11pm UK time, which is midnight CET, 6pm Eastern Standard Time or 3pm PST if you are on the West Coast of the United States.
You can check out the full fight schedule and running order here.
Fury vs Usyk on TV: channel and live stream details
The broadcast picture for this fight is finally set in stone.
We know that streaming platform DAZN will air the bout globally (including in the UK and the United States, while ESPN will also show it in the United States.
READ MORE: Latest Heavyweight Rankings: Top 10 ahead of Fury vs Usyk
We also now know that Sky Sports AND TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport), as well as DAZN, will have rights to show the bout in the UK – terrific news for domestic fight fans.
We also now have actual prices for the PPV:
- DAZN are pricing the bout at £24.99 in the UK – and that includes a one-month subscription to other fights on the platform.
- For existing DAZN subscribers in the UK the price will be £23.99.
- The cost to watch the fight on Sky Sports in the UK will be £24.95.
- The cost to watch the fight on TNT Sports in the UK will be $24.99.
- For ESPN and DAZN in the US, the price of the bout will be $69.99.
We just await details of TNT Sport pricing now, but it’s expected they will be in the same ballpark.
Fury vs Usyk venue and tickets
The bout will take place in Saudi Arabia (specifically Riyadh) – like Usyk’s rematch with Joshua and Joshua’s second fight with Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2019, and Fury vs Ngannou in 2023.
The Saudis were ready to put up a massive $155million site fee to host a Fury vs Joshua showdown last summer (that never happened of course) and reports suggest a similar sum is available for this fight. They reportedly paid Fury a whopping $50million for the showdown with Ngannou.
Tickets are now officially sold out per Saudi Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Alalshikh.
What is at stake in Fury vs Usyk?
Literally everything in the heavyweight division – like we said this bout would crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since another Brit Lennox Lewis back in 1999.
The current state of play is this:
- Fury is the WBC and lineal champion.
- Usyk is the IBF, WBA, WBO and Ring magazine champion.
All of those belts would be on the line for Fury vs Usyk.
Here is a full rundown on the current picture when it comes to world heavyweight champions
Fury vs Usyk odds
The odds are absolutely tightening after that Fury struggle to defeat Ngannou by decision. Fury had been a 1/2 shot to beat Usyk BEFORE he faced Ngannou. Now he’s around the 5/6 mark.
READ MORE: Watch the final press conference for Fury vs Usyk LIVE!
Usyk meanwhile had been as big as 21/10 before ‘The Gypsy King’ faltered in Riyadh. Now he’s as short as 6/5. This is now virtually a pick ’em fight.
The draw, never a bad bet in massive fights like this, is shortening all the time and now as low as 11/1.
Fury vs Usyk weights
The weigh-in for Fury vs Usyk took place on Friday May 17 in Riyadh, and it provided two HUGE surprises. Fury came in LIGHT, and there was a shock when it came to Usyk’s number too.
Fury had been a massive 277lbs (19st 11lbs) for his last fight – that disappointing split decision win over Francis Ngannou last October. This time he tipped the scales some 15lbs lighter at 262lbs (18st 10lbs).
Usyk meanwhile had been 221lbs (15st 11lbs) for each of his last three fights – a pair of wins over Anthony Joshua and a stoppage of Daniel Dubois. His weight was initially announced as 233.5lbs here – some 12lbs heavier. But it was later corrected and confirmed as 223.5lbs (15st 13.5lbs).
Tyson Fury record
Tyson Luke Fury, born August 12, 1988 and now 35 years old, has an unbeaten professional boxing record which currently stands at 34-0-1. A total of 35 fights with 34 victories, no defeats and one draw. Some 24 of those victories have come inside distance.
Fury, who stands 6ft 9ins tall (2.06m), is a physical freak who has incredible speed and boxing ability to match his size. A very very unusual and potent mix. He also has a reach of 85ins (2.16m).
The British star has arguable gotten better and better throughout his fighting career. He first reached the top of the heavyweight mountain by dethroning the great Wladimir Klitschko in Germany in 2015. It was a spectacular strategy boxing display from Fury, who completely befuddled the long-time champion en route to a points victory.
After that though Fury descended into the depths of despair as mental health problems led him to the brink of suicide. He ballooned to more than 400lbs in weight and spent almost three years out of the ring. The odds of even a comeback at that stage seemed very very long.
Come back he did though, and within months he was fighting the feared WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder for the title in Los Angeles in December 2018. Fury boxed brilliantly and despite being knocked down twice most judges felt he was unlucky not to get the victory. It was scored a draw – the only blemish on Fury’s pro ledger to date.
The rematch with Wilder was a complete rout as Fury, coming in heavier, was more aggressive under the tutelage of new trainer and Kronk disciple Javan ‘Sugarhill’ Steward. He bullied and battered ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to a stoppage defeat inside seven one-sided rounds in Las Vegas in February 2020.
Fury was then lined up for huge all-British showdown vs Anthony Joshua, but a legal challenge from Wilder scuppered that and instead Tyson lined up for a trilogy bout vs Deontay in Vegas in October 2021. It was an epic slugfest and Fury himself was on the canvas twice in Round 4 but recovered to stop the American in Round 11.
A homecoming for Fury was next, as he packed Wembley Stadium in London with more than 90,000 fans for an all-British title defence vs Dillian Whyte. It was a very one-sided affair as Fury dominated for all six rounds before landing the KO punch with a beautiful uppercut which put Dillian to sleep.
To end 2022, Fury stayed busy with a dominant 1oth-round stoppage victory over the brave but overmatched Dereck Chisora in London.
The only bout so far of 2023 for ‘The Gypsy King’ has been that controversial decision victory over former UFC heavyweight king Ngannou. We now hope Usyk will be next in December.
Oleksandr Usyk record
Oleksandr Usyk has dreamed for a long time of being an undisputed world champion at cruiserweight AND heavyweight. He is just one fight away from achieving that incredible goal.
The Ukrainian maestro, born in Simferopol on January 17, 1987 and now 37 years old, has built a perfect professional record of 21-0 – some 21 fights with 21 victories, 14 of which have come inside distance. He is much smaller than Fury of course, standing 6ft 3ins tall (1.91m) with a reach of 78ins (1.98m).
Usyk was always set for pro stardom after a glittering career which brought an amazing 335-15 record and an Olympic gold medal at London 2012.
After turning pro Usyk was an absolute monster at cruiserweight, claiming a world title in only his 10th professional fight by outpointing Krzysztof Glowacki in Poland in September 2016.
After that Usyk continued to assume the mantle of road warrior, beating the likes of Mairis Briedis, Marco Huck, Michael Hunter, Murat Gassiev and Tony Bellew in huge fights – all in his opponent’s back yard. Incredible.
After unifying the belts at cruiser with a faultless shutout vs Gassiev in Moscow in 2018, Usyk decided to move up to heavy to chase his destiny in boxing’s marquee weight class. He began with an easy stoppage of Chazz Witherspoon, and then withstood a game effort from Dereck Chisora to claim a points victory. Now it was time for a title bid.
Usyk, mandatory challenger for the WBO title held by Anthony Joshua, challenged AJ in front of more than 60,000 British fans at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021. He produced a virtuoso performance to easily outpoint the defending IBF, WBA and WBO champion and almost stopped him in a one-sided 12th and final round.
The rematch with Joshua was a tougher assignment, in Jeddah in Saudi Arabi in August 2022. Joshua was much improved from the first fight and took Usyk to deep waters in Round 9 of what up to that point was a close fight.
At this moment though Usyk showed his incredible fighting heart as well as his ability to dominate the final three rounds and pull out a split decision.
We should not really have expected anything else from a man who put his boxing career on hold in early 2022 to join up for the war effort as Ukraine defended against the Russian invasion.
Usyk returned to the ring in August 2023 to meet another Briton – the dangerous Daniel Dubois. After a ‘low blow’ controversy Usyk successfully overcame his London-based opponent, rolling to a ninth-round stoppage win in Wroclaw, Poland.
Usyk was an absolute monster at cruiser – just destroying allcomers – and while heavy is a tougher challenge he has so far passed every test with flying colours.
Bar that Round 9 vs AJ and a close fight with Mairis Briedis at 200lbs, it’s tough to believe he has ever been in danger of losing a professional fight. He is that good.
Fury vs Usyk undercard
A massive fight deserves a massive undercard, and we have just that…
Undefeated Australian Jai Opetaia takes on three-time cruiserweight world champion Mairis Briedis for the IBF world championship and Ring Magazine belt in a rematch of their exhilarating July 2022 encounter when Opetaia claimed the belts by overcoming the celebrated Latvian fighter.
Undefeated Welsh Olympian Joe Cordina will defend his IBF world super featherweight championship against IBO title holder, Northern Irishman Anthony Cacare.
The heavyweight theme is bolstered by the unbeaten German star Agit Kabayel going up against unbeaten Cuban Frank Sanchez as both return to Riyadh following their knockout victories on the ‘Day of Reckoning’ card in December in a WBC Final Eliminator.
UK lightweight sensation Mark Chamberlain will also be heading back to The Kingdom after proving to be a major hit on his opening night in Riyadh. The big punching 25-year-old featured at ‘Knockout Chaos’ in March and will now face the dangerous Nigerian Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab.
In another significant attraction, Sergey Kovalev – the former long-standing light heavyweight world champion – will go up against the undefeated Robin Sirwan Safar at cruiserweight.
Formidable young heavyweight star Moses Itauma, the World Amateur champion, who is tipped to become the future face of boxing’s marquee division, takes on Ilja Mezencev in his ninth fight in the professional ranks at the age of just 19.
New Zealand Olympian David Nyika faces Michael Seitz at cruiserweight and English featherweight Isaac Lowe is matched with Hasibullah Ahmadi.
