Fury vs Usyk Predictions: Oleksandr is the undisputed pick

The undisputed heavyweight championship of the world will be decided as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk face off on Saturday, May 18. The Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia will play host to this battle for all four heavyweight belts. The fight will be available to watch on both DAZN and Sky Sports Box Office. Here are my Fury vs Usyk predictions ahead of this massive occasion.

Barring any late drama, injuries or shenanigans, the biggest heavyweight clash in 25 years is finally happening. Fury has reigned as WBC champion since 2020 while Usyk won the WBA, WBO and IBF straps in 2021. It should not have taken this long to get the world’s best big men to share a ring. But, after numerous false starts, we finally have the fight the world has been waiting for.

It has been so long since we last had an undisputed heavyweight champion that the last one, Lennox Lewis, had retired four years before either Fury or Usyk had boxed a professional round. There are actually some parallels between the 1999 undisputed title showdown between Lewis and Evander Holyfield and Saturday’s blockbuster bout.

Once more, a tall, fearsome Brit brings the WBC championship to the party. Both fights feature that statuesque Englishman clashing with a former undisputed cruiserweight champion who has moved up to capture heavyweight honours. 

Let us hope Fury-Usyk does not emulate Lewis-Holyfield in one key aspect. Their first bout ended in a draw, before the score was settled by Lewis in a rematch later that year.

While Fury and Usyk are conclusively the best heavyweight fighters on the planet, this fight finds each man in questionable form. It is interesting that they meet at a point of relative weakness rather than strength. While neither man has ever lost as a pro, both Fury and Usyk looked poor in their most recent outings.

Fury’s performance was the worst of the pair. ‘The Gypsy King’ was knocked down by Francis Ngannou last October. The ex-UFC champion was making his professional boxing debut, but he was still able to topple the WBC kingpin and nearly beat him on the cards. Fury escaped with a split decision from the non-title 10-rounder, but his reputation was bruised. That hit to his ego became a double-whammy when Ngannou was blitzed in two rounds by Anthony Joshua in March.

Usyk’s own dark night of the soul was less damaging but no less dramatic. Against Britain’s Daniel Dubois, the Ukrainian hit the deck from what appeared to be a legal body shot in the fifth round. But the punch was ruled as a low blow and the champion was given ample time to recover.

Many observers believed the shot should have been permitted and pointed out how long it took Usyk to recover. They reasoned that Dubois should have been awarded the victory then and there. Usyk rebounded to knock Dubois out in the ninth round, displaying a ruthless streak he may need against Fury. 

Is there anything that focuses the mind more precisely than having something to prove? Both of Saturday’s headliners will be keen to reassert themselves at the very top of the tree. To consign Ngannou and Dubois to history. To prove that they are the same men that beat the other defining heavyweights of our era: Deontay Wilder (Fury) and Anthony Joshua (Usyk).

Unusually for a heavyweight superfight, these two are noted for cerebral boxing over brute force. Both men have pop in their shots, but this isn’t Mike Tyson or George Foreman we’re talking about. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s number one priority when they step into a ring is out-boxing their opponent.

This will lead to an interesting match-up, I feel. Usyk “downloads” his opponents, taking stock in the early rounds and learning what his foe’s strengths and weaknesses are. Then, taking the information he has gleaned through caution, ‘The Cat’ expertly plots their downfall. It is an intrinsic trait of fighters from Ukraine’s successful amateur programme. IBF lightweight king Vasiliy Lomachenko, who shares a manager with Usyk, fights in much the same way.

This meshes with Fury’s style in an intriguing way. ‘The Gypsy King’ is also known for sizing up his opponents rather than steaming in, hellbent on destruction. This approach has served him well. Take his decimation of Dillian Whyte for example. Fury jabbed and riled his man before lowering the boom in the sixth round.

This meeting of cautious starters will likely lead to a cagey first few minutes. However, while each man likes to take a look at their opponent before committing, neither are reluctant. Fury has gone to war with the likes of Wilder and Otto Wallin in thrilling fights. Usyk showed no regard for Joshua’s size or power across two fights, surprising onlookers with just how brave he was in the pocket.

So how will these two technicians mesh in Riyadh? I can see Fury being forced into some adjustments. After a period spent struggling to pin his rapier jab on the Ukrainian, I foresee the Mancunian electing to maul. Expect some clinches and rough stuff on the inside as Fury tries to derail the stylist. 

But Usyk has come through against the likes of common opponent Chisora, who loves a bit of the dark arts. I expect the WBA, WBO and IBF king to be unfazed and establish a rhythm. His evasiveness and toughness will see him rally and I feel he will have the better of the later rounds. This will be enough to give Usyk what I expect to be a close decision on the scorecards.

An Usyk points decision is priced at 19/10. I feel that is money well spent considering how he operates and the trajectory these men are on. These are two elite heavyweights and worthy champions. But I don’t foresee another heavyweight in the world beating Usyk at present. Not even ‘The Gypsy King’.

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