5 hours Ago By Alex Ballentine
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk put on an instant classic back in May. Now they'll finish off 2024 with a rematch for the WBA, WBO and WBC championship belts from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. The first matchup was for the undisputed heavyweight crown, but Usyk has since vacated the IBF title.
Still, it's safe to say that the winner of this bout will be considered the greatest heavyweight in the game today. The first fight was a back-and-forth affair that ultimately saw Usyk take home a split decision. Fury decided to trigger his rematch clause and the stage was set for another main attraction on the boxing calendar.
Here's a look at the latest information regarding the fight along with a preview and prediction. When: Saturday, December 21 at 11 a.m.
ET (main event ringwalks expected around 6 p.m. ET Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Live Stream: Tickets: Vivid Seats Odds: Usyk -150 ($150 bet wins $100); Tyson Fury +120 ($100 bet wins $120) Prediction: Usyk by unanimous decision (116-112x2, 115-113) Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook The first fight saw Oleksandr Usyk hand Tyson Fury the first loss of his career.
It wasn't easy for the Ukrainian, though. He had to weather early storms from Fury and still only convinced two of the three judges that he was the winner. For Fury, this bout is about revenge and righting the wrongs from a fight he believes he won.
"I didn't feel like I lost the fight," says Fury. "I didn't get the decision. It's opinionated bulls--- , really.
I had no bruises on me. I got me money. I went home," he said, per Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
Fury was in the driver's seat in the early rounds of the first fight. His forward movement and pressure helped him connect with regularity in the early going and his power seemed to get to Usyk. However, Usyk slowly took control as the fight wore on.
The ninth-round was a hallmark moment for him as he had Fury against the ropes and earned a 10-8 round on all three cards. There are two ways to look at Fury's early success. The first is that it's a sign of what Fury can do to Usyk across 12 rounds.
If his conditioning is better and he's coming into this fight with more focus than it's possible he proves that he's the better fighter. The other is that it simply took that long for Usyk to figure Fury out. The champion is a cerebral fighter with a good knack for making adjustments and he was able to take over the second half of the fight.
The truth probably leans toward the second option. Fury is obviously a great heavyweight. His legacy is sealed as one of the best of a generation.
However, he has a lot of mileage at this point and Usyk looked much sharper than him in the first bout. Fury will still have his moments. It would be shocking if this became a complete blowout, but both men have proven they are going to be tough to knock out.
Over the course of a 12-round fight it's easier to have confidence that Usyk will find a way to be consistently successful and take home a decision victory. Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369). If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.
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