The huge rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is fast approaching.
This battle between two elite-level heavyweights takes place on December 21 in Saudi Arabia.
The first contest in May was an engaging and closely-fought battle with one big round in the 9th for Usyk enough to give him a narrow win on the cards. The win gave him the undisputed title and made him the first man to hold that honour since Lennox Lewis.
Fury has said he was having too much fun in the ring and lost a little concentration so will be sure not to repeat the same mistakes in the second fight and has vowed to knock Usyk out, to which Usyk responded ‘in your dreams.’
Speaking to FightHub TV, former multi-weight world champion Bernard Hopkins was asked if the rematch would be any different to the first fight.
“No, no, no. I think the smaller guy is really the big guy in heart, the big guy in talent. I just think, I’ve been with Tyson Fury when he fought most people, picking him to win but I believe Usyk has his number.
He’s not a big heavyweight which helps him in this particular fight. I just think he has the IQ that Fury can’t keep up with as time and rounds go on. I think Usyk possibly by stoppage late, and not by a punch, I think it might be a mercy stoppage by the referee.”
One thing that does change in the rematch is that the winner will only be a unified rather than undisputed champion as Usyk had to relinquish the IBF to honour the second fight with Fury.
Daniel Dubois has since made that belt his own and could well be targeted by the winner in 2025.
