Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury Prediction & Picks - Heavyweight Title

Prediction published on 12/19/24, 2:43 AM  by Tyler Doty | Modified on 12/19/24 at 5:25 AM in Betting Tips

Oleksandr Usyk (22-0) versus Tyson Fury (34-1-1) is a highly anticipated UFC heavyweight title clash on Sunday, December 21, 2024, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In this hotly anticipated fight, Usyk will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against the former WBC champ, who will be eager for revenge. It's a rematch of the May 18 clash where Usyk won by split decision to become the undisputed heavyweight champion and the first fighter to hold the title since Lennox Lewis in 1999. "The Cat" will walk into this matchup boasting a 100% win record in his professional boxing career.

After suffering his first defeat in his 16-year professional career, Fury immediately called for a rematch. The former two-time heavyweight champ has held the title since destroying Deontey Wilder in 2020. He has since fought off several challengers until Usyk came knocking. The self-proclaimed "Gipsy King" has promised his fans that he'll be 'more focused' this time and regain his title. Both pugilists will know that the winner could become the greatest heavyweight boxer of this generation. However, they have insisted that losing this high-stakes matchup doesn't necessarily mean early retirement. Still, everything is on the line this Sunday.

Fighters' Form

Oleksandr Usyk is a professional boxer born in January 1987. Usyk is known for his tactical brilliance and excellent footwork, often leaving his rivals guessing his next move inside the boxing arena. His athletic journey started in football before transitioning to boxing at only 15 years of age. Even in his amateur career, Usyk won several accolades, including gold at the 2012 London Olympics for the heavyweight category. He turned professional in 2013, marking his meteoric rise to stardom in the boxing field. Usyk is the current undisputed champ of the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF titles.

Tyson Luke Fury is a heavyweight boxer born in August 1988 in Manchester, England. As a fighter, The Gipsy King is popular for his bare-knuckle approach and towering height, which makes him an imposing figure inside the ring. Fury is also known for trash-talking his opponents before a fight. Outside the boxing ring, he is a celebrity known for his flamboyant and opulent lifestyle. Fury is one of the superstar celebrities who have openly shared their struggles with drug addiction, weight control, and depression. Fury even has a Netflix reality show dubbed "Home with the Furys," involving his wife (Paris), father (John), and six children.

Background

Oleksandr Usyk comes into this matchup with a pretty colorful record. He engaged in 350 bouts in his amateur career, winning on 335 occasions. Impressively, he has won by KO in 14 of those matches, so Tyson should watch out here. His rise to stardom started in 2013 after winning the WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight title by TKO against South Africa's Daniel Brewer. He captured the WBO cruiserweight title three years after defeating Krzysztof Głowacki. But his hunger for wins didn't end there. In 2018, he became the undisputed cruiserweight champ after beating Murat Gassiev to unify the WBC, WBO, WBA, and IBF titles. This is a mean feat in the sport.

On his part, Tyson Fury represented England and Ireland in his amateur days, with a record of 31-4 and 26 KOs to show for it. He won the ABA super-heavyweight title in 2008 before turning professional in the same year. His first professional fight was against Bela Gyongyosi, winning by TKO in round 1. He later fought six opponents in 2019, winning by KO/TKO in six of those fights. Fury won the WBC heavyweight title in 2020 after defeating Deontay Wilder by TKO in round 7. He defended his belt successfully against Wilder in 2021, winning by KO in round 11. Fury later defended his title successfully twice in 2022 against Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora before losing to Usyk in May 2024. That was the first professional career loss for the largest heavyweight champ ever recorded.