One of the biggest boxing events in history will take place at Kingdom Arena this weekend in Saudi Arabia, as Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury collide in the heavyweight division.
The fight will see the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight championships on the line, with the boxers set to renew their rivalry following a last minute cancellations from the intended bout in February.
Fury vs Usyk Odds
There is little to separate the heavyweights in the BetXchange betting for the huge event, with Tyson Fury currently the narrow favourite at 9/10. A victory for Usyk is priced up at 49/50 in the two-way betting. Fury is available at 97/100 in the three-way market, with Usyk priced up at 29/25.
The draw could be an interesting angle at 53/4. The betting also sees the fight going the distance available at 12/25, with over 10.5 rounds priced up at 37/100.
Historical Significance
The heavyweight showdown between Usyk and Fury is the most important battle in the heavyweight division since 2000. For the first time since that year, an undisputed heavyweight champion will be crowned, with Lennox Lewis being the last boxer to hold all the gold at the same time. However, it will be the first time in the four-belt era that there will be an undisputed bout for the heavyweight championship.
Fury Bidding To Achieve Legacy
Tyson Fury is largely regarded to be the finest heavyweight of this era, and he will likely be in the discussion to be the best in the weight class throughout history. Fury has a near-perfect professional record, with his only blemish in 35 bouts coming in his controversial draw in his first showdown with Deontay Wilder. However, he bounced back from that setback by beating his American rival on two occasions in Las Vegas.
Since the second of those bouts, the Gypsy King has been seen sporadically in the ring. He successfully defended the title with a TKO finish against Dillian Whyte in April 2022, before claiming a tenth round stoppage success against Derek Chisora. His most recent official bout was a split decision victory over MMA star Francis Ngannou in October 2023.
Usyk Chasing History
Oleksandr Usyk is one of the most celebrated boxers in modern history, becoming the first star to hold all major world titles in the cruiserweight division between 2018 and 2019. However, he still faced questions when stepping into the heavyweight division, as many believed his size could be an issue. But, history continued to follow the 37-year-old, as he became just the third boxer to win world titles in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.
He was extremely professional in both bouts against Anthony Joshua, before riding his luck against Daniel Dubois after being given extra time to recover following a seemingly legal shot by the Brit. However, Usyk regained his confidence to score a ninth-round KO victory in Poland.
Fury vs Usyk Prediction
This should be a hugely strategic affair between the two best heavyweights on the planet this weekend. However, Usyk’s Ring IQ could be the difference-maker, meaning that there could be value in siding with the Ukrainian winning via decision.
