Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk Prediction and Betting Tips: Best bets for undisputed heavyweight championship
All four recognised titles are on the line this Saturday night as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk come to blows in Saudi Arabia to determine the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999.
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Not since Lennox Lewis 25 years ago has there been an unchallenged heavyweight sitting atop the division's throne, with one of Fury or Usyk about to be labelled the first during this overly complicated four-belt era.
Although a rematch is anticipated before the end of the year regardless of its victor, that won't diminish the excitement for this one among both hardcore boxing fans and the general public alike.
Neither one has been overly active heading into this contest, with 'The Gypsy King' last present in his professional bout with former MMA champion Francis Ngannou, where he had a close scare before eventually winning by a points decision. Meanwhile, the Ukranian has not appeared since successfully defending his WBA, IBF and WBO belts against Daniel Dubois - another fight steeped in controversy.
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk Tips
As we've seen in his four contests since stepping up to heavyweight, Usyk is far too smart to fall into the trap of allowing the bigger, heavier man to lay on him and use his size.
The Ukranian's ability to cut out angles and move into spaces undetected and unscathed is like no other current fighter in this division.
This isn't recency bias either because if we were employing that same mentality to both fighters then Usyk too could be said to have had a wobble in his last outing.
Historically, Tyson has struggled against smaller, back-foot fighters, having been knocked by former cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham on his American debut and then being horrifically cut by Otto Wallin before going to a points decision in 2019.
If the Ngannou catastrophe taught us anything it's that negating Fury's weight advantage takes a lot away from his game.
That's why shifting all of that weight in his preparations for Usyk might not be as advantageous as he believes since Usyk is capable of running rings around any heavyweight due to his fantastic conditioning, boxing IQ and fabulous footwork.
Despite the degree of success that Fury will have in this fight, Usyk has an innate ability to pick and choose his rounds, which if he starts fast and takes an early lead on the scorecards, that will then make this bout his to lose.
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From Fury's camp, it'll be most interesting to see the tactic employed by The Gypsy King in dealing with Usyk.
With time and age, Tyson has become less reliant on his awkward, jerky style and more focused on coming forward and bullying his opponents. Stylistically, this paid dividends against the likes of Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, all of whom aren't nearly as technical or as active as Usyk.
As the bigger man, AJ tried to outbox the Ukrainian and only won a handful of their 24 shared rounds in the ring. If Fury feels it necessary to do the same here, we could be looking at a similar story.
We've also learned by now that Usyk can endure genuine one punch knockout power, having done so across both fights with Anthony Joshua through his use of footwork and toughness. If AJ couldn't stop him after that round 9 onslaught in the pair's second meeting, then it seems unlikely that Fury will be able to do so with less power.
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