A pair of undefeated heavyweights tangle for the undisputed championship of the world when WBC champ Tyson Fury battles WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belt holder Oleksandr Usyk in a 12-round fight scheduled for Saturday, May 18 in Saudi Arabia. The much-anticipated bout has been in the works for some time with an agreement in place last September. The fight was originally scheduled for late December 2023 and delayed to February. Another postponement moved the date another few months.
Barring a draw, which is a betting option, the first undisputed heavyweight champ since Lennox Lewis in 2000 will be crowned. Both fighters may have been looking forward to this match since they had scares in their most recent outing. In a non-title fight Fury was knocked down by former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who was making his professional debut in the ring. Fury recovered to win a 10-round split decision. Usyk was dropped by a controversial low blow from Daniel Dubois last August and went on to a ninth round stoppage win. Unlike some previous title fights, the odds are close with both boxers boasting negative odds on the opening boxing betting line.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury Betting Odds
Oleksandr Usyk -116
Tyson Fury -114
The 12-round fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world between Oleksandr Usyk ( 21-0, 14 KOs ) and Tyson Fury ( 34-0-1, 24 KOs ) will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and will air on DAZN pay-per-view.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury Fight Preview
With much more at stake Fury is taking a different approach to this fight than he did against Ngannou. Though it was an official fight and limited to 10 rounds, Fury’s title wasn’t on the line. And it was obvious Fury didn’t take his opponent seriously. In the end it nearly cost him. A 14/1 favorite, Fury was knocked down in the third round but proceeded to win by split decision that didn’t come without controversy.
After the fight Fury said of Ngannou, “He is a lot better of a boxer than we thought he’d be. He’s a very awkward man and he’s a good puncher.” I’m assuming when Fury said awkward he was referring to Ngannou’s boxing technique. Since that fight Fury has transformed his body looking to be in much better shape. He looked sloppy against Ngannou and the result may have been a wakeup call.
Fury was unified heavyweight champ claiming the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles with a unanimous decision over Vladimir Klitschko in October 2015. However, he was forced to relinquish his titles under the suspicion of doping and experiencing mental health issues. In his third bout after returning to the ring, Fury suffered his only non-win with a split draw against Deontay Wilder for the WBC heavyweight title. About 14 months later Fury won the WBC strap with a seventh round TKO of Wilder. He successfully defended in the trilogy fight this time punishing Wilder and sending him to the canvas in the 11th round.
Apparently needing a new challenge Usyk surrendered his undisputed cruiserweight belts for a move to heavyweight. In 2021 he scored a unanimous decision over Anthony Joshua to win the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles. In a much closer fight Usyk also won the rematch by split decision. Beating Joshua was considered an upset since many felt Usyk didn’t have the size or power to do enough damage to the former champ.
Bet Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury
Championship heavyweight bouts are always attention grabbers and this one is no exception. Not only are Fury and Usyk the top two in the division, it’s a fight that has been in the making for sometime only adding to the buildup. And oddsmakers are having a hard time with both fighters opening with negative odds. Looking at what happened in their last fight you could say Usyk is in good shape. I’m not buying it, though. Fury obviously took a lackadaisical approach not giving Ngannou the respect he deserved. And Fury found out the hard way that it’s not the way to prepare. Fury has a significant height, weight and reach advantage and has trimmed down since his last fight. He’s taking this bout way more seriously and it will pay off in the end with a win for the undisputed title.
Boxing Odds Pick: Tyson Fury / Unanimous Decision
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