The Ukrainian left a final message to his opponent before the fight.
WBA, WBO, WBC and IBO heavyweight title holder Oleksandr Usyk addressed former champion Tyson Fury on the day of their rematch fight.
In a playful manner, the Ukrainian boxer wished his opponent a good morning, once again calling the Briton a “greedy belly”, and also confessed his love.
See also:Usyk and Fury revealed their weight ahead of the rematch
“Good morning, Tyson. How are you? I love you, my greedy belly. My friend, greedy belly, I'll see you today. Love you,” Usyk said.
“I love you, my greedy belly!”
Happy Fight Day from Oleksandr Usyk #Usyk2Fury | BUY NOW on TNT Sports Box Office ▶️ https://t.co/FXWiFF98Ej pic.twitter.com/6Goq12A6PU
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) December 21, 2024
The Usyk-Fury rematch will take place on December 21 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). All titles held by the Ukrainian boxer will be at stake.
A text online broadcast of the Usyk-Fury rematch is available on our website.
See also: Usyk-Fury: predictions from famous boxers, coaches and promoters for the rematch
Unlike the first fight, this time the title of absolute world champion will not be at stake, since Alexander had previously renounced the IBF title. Now it is owned by Briton Daniel Dubois, who has already managed to defend it by knocking out his compatriot Anthony Joshua.
Recall that on the night of May 19, 2024, Usyk defeated Fury by split decision in a fight for the title of absolute world heavyweight champion. At the end of the ninth round, Alexander knocked his opponent down.
Thus, Alexander defended the WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF belts, and also took the WBC title from the “Gypsy King”. Usyk became the first absolute world champion in the heavyweight division in the 21st century.
Before that, the last “absolute” heavyweight champion was Lennox Lewis, who won this status in 1999, when he defeated Evander Holyfield. At that time, the WBA, WBC and IBF titles were at stake. The WBO belt was recognized as equal in 2007, so Usyk became the first “absolute” heavyweight champion in history with four main titles.
