Fury will fight Ukrainian Usyk on December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Tyson Fury is set to face Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch later this month and fans have already been speculating about the outcome of the fight after observing the Gypsy King’s physical condition.
The two fighters will meet again in the ring on December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, reigniting their rivalry that began with their first encounter in May earlier this year. Usyk triumphed in that bout, a result which marked Fury’s first loss of his professional boxing career.
The Ukrainian won by a split decision from the judges and, at 37, Usyk became the first person since Lennox Lewis to hold all the heavyweight division belts after taking Fury’s WBC title.
However, he has since given up the IBF title, which is now held by Daniel Dubois, as Usyk chose to rematch Fury instead of facing mandatory challenger Dubois. Both fighters boast impressive records, with 36-year-old Fury having 34 wins from 36 fights, including a draw, and Usyk remaining undefeated in his 22 professional bouts to date.
With the rematch just two weeks away, both men are nearing the end of their training for the fight. Fury has shared an update from his training camp on Instagram, showing him flexing his muscles and stating: “Working my ass off to regain the championship.”
However, fans have responded to the image on social media, specifically commenting on Fury’s physique. Some claim that the Gypsy King appears aged.
“He looks old there,” one replied in the comments, while another said: “Bro looks 47.”
One Instagram user said: “Doesn’t (look) near as good as the previous fight and he lost that so I’m worried.”
One person noted: “Fury ballooning up and down in weight down the years maybe has caught up with him, if Fury’s damaged goods he took a lot of punishment first fight. Flip-side on paper there’s still a massive size advantage for Fury if he can make it count.”
Another added: “Fury has never been the ‘body beautiful’ type of fighter but I have to say he looks awful here. I can see Usyk, whose fitness is never in doubt, stopping Fury this time.”
Meanwhile, another fan stated: “Tyson had a hell of a run before and after the mental breakdown and will forever be a legend in the sport of boxing.
“But for someone with his build and size, his aging is showing rapidly. Usyk is older than Fury by a year but you’d think Fury was 10 times older.”