Two of the best boxers in the world, Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, are set to clash at the end of this month in a huge title rematch for almost all of the marbles in the heavyweight division. Following a fantastic fight back in May, the two heavyweights are ready for a showdown again in Saudi Arabia. In the first clash, Usyk won via split decision over Fury, after scoring some early fight momentum. Although Fury was able to recover and rally, the judges awarded Usyk the split decision victory with scores of 115-112, 113-113, and 114-113 per one article. Additionally, in this matchup, CompuBox suggested Usyk had landed 170 of 407 punches (41.8%) compared to Fury’s 157 of 496 (31.7%). With the heavyweight titles again on the line (aside from the IBF strap), this should be an amazing matchup to close the year.
In this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from each of these fighters along with a predicted winner and some additional thoughts and notes regarding boxing wagering.
Noted above, the Ukrainian fighter was able to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era and the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years with the win over Fury, per sources. Usyk of course has had a sensational amount of success in his career with a current record of 22-0 and 14 knockout victories. In his last couple of bouts, he has been electric. This includes a ninth-round knockout victory over Daniel Dubois in Poland back in August of 2023. Prior to that, he had a sensational series against Anthony Joshua that saw the fighter score two great victories, one being a unanimous decision (2021) and then a split decision in a classic rematch in 2022.
Going into this fight, Usyk certainly has a large target on his back, but The Cat of course has had answers for each opponent he has faced so far in his career. Fury does present matchup problems given his tremendous size and power. However, in the last fight, Usyk found success in the opening rounds applying constant pressure and landing power punches early on. In a back-and-forth affair, the Ukrainian champion was able to mount a comeback in the ninth round where he was able to hurt Fury with a series of punches, scoring a knockdown in the process. Certainly, both fighters are excellent at knockouts, but Usyk seemed to have figured out Fury in the first fight.
A combatant that needs little introduction, Fury is one of the most charismatic and decorated fighters of this century. Noted before, but is worth repeating, he has held multiple world championships in the heavyweight division, including unified titles from 2015 to 2016. In multiple big-time matchups, he has excelled. This includes in 2015 against Wladimir Klitschko where his victory was named Upset of the Year and earned him Fighter of the Year honors by The Ring. Additionally, with his defeat of Deontay Wilder, he became the third heavyweight champion ever to hold The Ring magazine title twice and was widely considered by media outlets to be the lineal heavyweight champion.
In the last matchup against Usyk, Fury was able to score some pretty significant shots throughout the fight. Starting in round dour, Fury “became increasingly dominant,” appearing to hurt Usyk with uppercuts in round six being the trademark highlight. However, as noted above, Fury was knocked down later in the fight by his opponent. Although the Gypsy King was able to recover to some degree and attempted to rally, the judges ultimately awarded the matchup to Usyk. With this loss, Fury sustained the first loss of his professional career, dropping his overall record to a still sensational 34-1-1. The only draw in his career came against Deontay Wilder back in December 2018 in an iconic matchup. Of course, this matchup presents an interesting scenario for Fury as an opportunity to bounce back here as he had never had to do so before in his career.
This matchup will again go down to the wire with fighters presenting some complete skillsets. That said, Usyk should be able to score the win here if he is able to get to most of his spots like he did in the last matchup.
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About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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