Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are to face off in a clash billed as the fight of a generation today with the first undisputed heavyweight bout in 25 years.
The Briton and the Ukrainian have both arrived undefeated in Riyadh, boxing’s oil-funded new cash cow, looking to be crowned the sport’s first four-belt champion.
Superlatives have been lavished on an encounter where one of the fighters can join the likes of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson by becoming the first undisputed heavyweight since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in 1999.
Photo: Reuters
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 2.06m Mancunian, who struggled against converted MMA fighter Francis Ngannou in October last year, has shed excess kilos and looks lean and light on his feet.
Southpaw Usyk gives up 15cm in height, but has triumphed against bigger opponents, beating the towering Anthony Joshua twice.
Promoter Frank Warren called it the “most important fight of the 21st century.”
“It’s the fight we’ve been waiting for — the two best heavyweights in the world, both undefeated,” he said on Thursday evening. “This is something special. Fights like [this] come along once in a generation.”
The final buildup has been as quirky as the fighters. After chaos when Fury’s father headbutted a member of Usyk’s entourage, the boxers have been quiet and respectful.
On Thursday, Fury refused to engage in the traditional eyeball-to-eyeball face-off, while Usyk scribbled a poem during the press conference.
“Let’s make history,” the Ukrainian said.
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