On December 21, 2024, the long-awaited rematch between the Ukrainian world heavyweight champion WBA, WBO, WBC and IBO Oleksandr Usyk and Briton Tyson Fury will take place in Saudi Arabia. This fight is one of the most important in the careers of both boxers, writes WomanEL.
ContentHow the first fight between Usyk and Fury wentBookmakers' predictions for the rematchBoxers' fees for the second fightUsyk's form and preparation for the rematchThe venue of the fight and the judges, including the IBAHow the press conference wentWhere to watch the fight between Usyk and Fury in Ukraine and the world
How the first fight between Usyk and Fury went
The fight between Usyk and Fury first took place on May 19, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight, which immediately became historic, ended in a split decision in favor of Oleksandr Usyk. The judges scored the fight 115-112, 114-113 and 113-114. At the end of the ninth round, Usyk knocked Fury down.
Results:
- Usyk retained the WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF titles.
- Tyson Fury lost the WBC title.
- Usyk became the first absolute world heavyweight champion of the 21st century.
Fees for the first fight:
- Fury — $105 million.
- Usyk — $45 million.
It should be noted that the rematch will not be about the absolute world champion title, as Usyk gave up the IBF title. This belt went to Briton Daniel Dubois, who managed to defend it in a fight against Anthony Joshua, knocking him out.
Bookmakers' predictions for the rematch
Bookmakers identified Usyk as the favorite for the match. According to their estimates, the odds for Usyk to win are 1.65, while Fury's win is estimated at 2.40.
Predictions for the outcome of the fight:
- Usyk to win on points — 2.75
- Usyk to win by knockout — 4.00
- Fury to win by decision — 4.00
- Fury to win by decision — 4.80
- Draw — 18.00
Boxers' fees for the second fight
The total fee for the rematch will be $190 million, of which 60% ($114 million) will go to Usyk and 40% ($76 million) to Fury. These are guaranteed amounts that do not depend on the sales of paid broadcasts.
Usyk's form and preparation for the rematch
Usyk is preparing for the rematch with Fury in optimal physical shape. Oleksandr's weight in the first fight was 101.1 kg. This time he also worked on his endurance and mobility. The preparation included many sparring matches with top fighters, including Viktor Yurk (10-0, 8 KO), Giovanni Scuderi (12-0, 5 KO) and Sanel Hasanovich (8-1-1, 7 KO), who helped in Usyk's training camp. The athlete managed to rest between fights and gained good shape, demonstrating physical fitness in several photos from the training camp. Meanwhile, Fury will be heavier than in the first fight in May. His weight is 119 kg.
It definitely won't be easier in the rematch. It will be more difficult. But I always set myself up for a tough fight. There are no other options. I don't need it to be easier. You won't find diamonds in the rough, because they aren't there. You can't achieve success without hard work. Everything that comes easy doesn't grow well. In the first fight against Fury, it wasn't me who decided it, but the heavenly forces decided that I would win this way – by decision. If I have the opportunity to knock out Tyson in the rematch, I will definitely take it,
commented Usyk.
The venue of the fight and the judges, among whom is AI
The fight will take place in Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh. This place has already become a symbol of major boxing events. The rematch will be judged by Puerto Rican referee Roberto Martinez Jr., who has been working in boxing since 2003. The judges of the fight will also be Gerardo Martinez (Puerto Rico), Pat Morley and Fernando Barbosa (USA). In addition, an innovative experiment is planned for this fight – artificial intelligence will be used, which will work without bias and errors, but its decisions will not affect the official results of the fight.
How the press conference was held
On the eve of the fight, on December 19, a final press conference was held in which both boxers took part in a long battle of looks that lasted more than 10 minutes. Fury emphasized that a lot of pain is expected in the rematch.
Now it's just talk, everything will happen on December 21 in the ring. Now the show, cameras — everything will be serious on December 21,
Usyk said.
Where to watch the Usyk vs. Fury fight in Ukraine and the world
The fight will start on December 21 at approximately 23:30 Kyiv time. In Ukraine, the fight will be available to watch on the MEGOGO media service. The broadcast is available with subscriptions “Optimalna”, “Sport”, “Maximum” and “MEGOPACK XL”. The fight will also be available to watch on the MEGOGO Gong channel.
Other platforms for viewing:
- Global sports broadcast platform DAZN.
- Sky Sports Box Office service.
- Streaming from Amazon.
- TNT Sports Box Office service.
- Virgin Media TV box.
- Only for the USA – ESPN Plus PPV.
- The Suspilne Sport website will host a text version of the fight.
Recently, Oleksandr Usyk presented Volodymyr Zelensky with his world champion belt.