Usyk vs Fury 2: Oleksandr Usyk on Tyson Fury rematch - 'I'm preparing to go up against a walking fortress'
20 December 2024, 08:57 | Updated: 20 December 2024, 18:04
Tyson Fury has threatened to come in heavy at Friday's weigh-in as he seeks to deliver a destructive performance in his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
After beating Fury in May on a split decision to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Usyk will rematch the Briton, the fight taking place this Saturday on a Riyadh Season bill live on Sky Sports Box Office.
In this fight Usyk's WBO, WBA and WBC championships will be on the line and Fury has vowed to get his revenge.
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He says he has put on weight for "more power in the punches".
"When a 20st man hits you on the jaw, compared to a man at 17st, it's a bit different," Fury told Sky Sports.
But Usyk remains cooly undaunted. "I know things will be different this time. For me I'm training like I'm preparing to go up against a walking fortress," Usyk told Sky Sports.
"I'm working hard, really hard, because I know my opponent's going to be different. But I won't be the same guy I was in the first fight."
Fury though welcomed that. He wants to prove his superiority once and for all in this fight.
"I want him to be the best he's ever been. I hope I get the best version," the Briton said.
"It's always round 13 in a rematch, I suppose. I've had plenty of them. Round 13 for sure. And I was coming on strong in the last round too. So it should be a good round for me the first one."
'Fury means business'
Former world champion and Sky Sports expert Johnny Nelson said: "Tyson Fury tells us 20 stone. I think he'll be near on there. I don't think he'll be 20 stone, I think he'll be just under, about 19 and a half stone.
"If he's weighing near to that 20 stone, which I also was told a few months ago that he was going to come in heavy, he means business.
"And Tyson Fury's one of those freaky kinds of individuals that can carry the weight and move like a middleweight.
"He's not got the legs he used to have. He's 36 years old, but the legs he has will work for him, because he needs to walk his way through. Don't try to dance your way through because when you're carrying 20 stone, you're going to get tired.
"Fury's got to be smart, box offensively, use your weight, step, don't run. Let him dance, don't dance back. You've got to be smart. Edge your way in, make sure you dominate the pace, because if the pace is taken away from him, like we saw in the last fight, Usyk had him gassed.
"Usyk's very good. In the last fight you saw Usyk slipping under the arms of Tyson Fury, you saw him getting out of the way and it was like trying to catch an eel for Tyson.
"He [Fury] has actually got to push it to the point where he's close to having points taken away from him. He's got to have the referee saying: 'Stop pulling, stop using the elbow, stop hitting low.'
"He's got to get under the skin of Usyk. He's got to get Usyk complaining. If he gets Usyk complaining, that's when you're getting into the head of your opponent."
Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury's huge heavyweight rematch will be live on Saturday December 21 on Sky Sports Box Office. Book Usyk v Fury 2 now!
(c) Sky Sports 2024: Usyk vs Fury 2: Oleksandr Usyk on Tyson Fury rematch - 'I'm preparing to go up against a walking fortress'
