In this combination of pictures, Britain's Tyson Fury and Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk train in Riyadh on May 15, 2024, ahead of their undisputed heavyweight world boxing championship fight on May 18. — AFP picRIYADH, May 18 — Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will face off in a historic clash billed as the fight of a generation on Saturday with the first undisputed heavyweight bout in 25 years.
With the hype going into overdrive, there is the potential for anticlimax at the Kingdom Arena with some commentators expecting a cagey fight with Fury on the defensive.The 6ft 9ins Mancunian, who struggled against converted MMA fighter Francis Ngannou in October, has shed excess pounds, weighing in at 262lb, and looks leaner and light on his feet.
However, Tony Bellew, Usyk’s final victim at cruiserweight, warned: “He is the purest and best boxer Fury will ever face in his life.”The final build-up has been explosive at times, including when Fury’s father headbutted a member of Usyk’s entourage and was seen with blood streaming down his face. Complaints about Saudi Arabian “sportswashing” — using high-profile sport to deflect scrutiny of its human rights record — have been virtually absent, with the promoters and fighters at pains to praise the conservative kingdom.
Both fighters have impeccable records — Fury is 34-0-1 with 24 knockouts, Usyk 21-0 with 14 KOs — and engrossing back stories. Usyk, 37, who briefly served as a soldier after the Russian invasion, cleaned up as an amateur where he had a record of 335-15 and won an Olympic gold medal in 2012.
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