Predictions And Picks For The Heavyweight Rematch

The first matchup between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk took place in May. The two put on one of the better heavyweight fights of recent memory over 12 tightly contested rounds. After the final blow landed, the judges awarded the split decision to Usyk, making him the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in 1999. The rematch between Fury and Usyk, which will not be for the undisputed title, takes place on Saturday, December 21, from the same arena where they met in May, Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We look back on the first fight, analyze the current betting odds, and give our picks and predictions for Usyk vs. Fury 2.

Fury Vs. Usyk 1: Recap

When the fight opened, the two competitors looked to establish their attacks. For Fury, that meant fighting behind an active jab, and using his pronounced size advantage to keep Usyk to the outside. As for Usyk, his goal was to use his speed, volume, power, and movement to force Fury into corners, or at least against the ropes, where he could trap his foe and score with combinations. It didn’t help that Fury seemed a little too interested in playing to the crowd. The early rounds favored Usyk.

As the fight progressed, Fury stepped up his output and sense of urgency and slowly took over. He kept the fight in the open more often than he allowed Usyk to push him to the ropes and used his jab to keep his opponent from scoring with his power. Usyk was far from ineffective in the middle of the bout. He was moving forward and landing to the body, but Fury was just better than him between rounds five and seven.

Usyk changed his approach in the eighth round. He became more aggressive, walking Fury down. His punches, rising over his adversary’s guard, left their mark on Fury’s face.

Usyk’s attacking style paid dividends in the ninth round when a combination left Fury staggering around the ring. Several times it seemed as if the ropes were the only thing that saved the big man from toppling into the crowd or hitting the Kingdom Arena canvas. Then, with time ticking down, referee Mark Nelson signaled an official knockdown. By the time the ref administered the eight-count and checked if Fury could continue, time expired on the round.

After the fight David Haye said on TNT Sports Box Office about the final moments of the round, “First and foremost, the fight should have got stopped in the ninth round.

“I don’t know why the referee gave a count. I understand they say if the ropes are keeping you up, that means if anybody is on the ropes getting hit the referee should jump in and give you a count.

“I thought the ref should have let him either finish him off or stop the fight. It seemed like a fair and square stoppage from my point of view.

“He was all over the place, he falls over. If it was around the other way, if Tyson Fury was doing this to Usyk the referee would have probably stopped it.

“But for some reason the referee gave him a count and gave him a long 20-second count.

“The referee stopped him from finishing his opportunity. Everybody at ringside was really upset at the referee.”

Usyk didn’t take his foot off the gas for the rest of the fight.

At the end of the battle the scorecards read 115-112 and 114-113 for Usyk, and 114-113 for Fury.

Fury Vs. Usyk 1: Stats

According to CompuBox, here are the stats from Fury vs. Usyk 1:

Usyk Vs. Fury 2: Betting Odds

The odds for that first matchup slightly favored Fury as the -115 favorite over the -105 Usyk. Fury entered the contest as the WBC champion, while Usyk held the WBO, WBA and IBF titles.

Today, Usyk is the -150 betting favorite over Fury, who is listed by BetOnline as the +120 betting underdog.

Usyk Vs. Fury 2: Predictions and Picks

Tyson Fury

Fury (34-1-1 with 24 knockouts) has to take this fight seriously. Taking time off to play to the crowd, especially when he is forced into a corner by Usyk, won’t cut it. Fury must fight like he did in the middle of the May matchup. That is to say, he needs to employ a busy jab while keeping the fight in the open. He can’t allow Usyk to get in close, land with power, or force him to the ropes. Another thing Fury should do is look to land more to the body. The book on Usyk is that he can be hurt with body blows. Fury needs to at least test that theory. The ex-champ has the skills to fight in the above manner, but will he do so over 12 rounds?

Another worry is Fury’s preparation. He told The Ring magazine that he didn’t feel he made any mistakes in the first fight and that the only difference between himself and Usyk was that Usyk caught him. That’s simply not true. Usyk’s 12-round strategy was better in that fight, and if Fury employs the same style he did in May, he will lose on Saturday. He must make adjustments. However, in that same interview, it came across as if Fury did not take extra time to prepare for the rematch. That’s not good.

Oleksandr Usyk

Usyk (22-0) had a smart approach to the first fight. He picked his spots well, limiting his attempts but looking for the most effective moments to throw. That allowed him to outland Fury and score with more effective blows while limiting Fury’s opportunities to counter. He must employ that same attack in the rematch..

Usyk’s movement was good in the May meeting, but he still got tagged by several big uppercuts from Fury. He needs to be more aware of where he is in the rematch and cut down on the opportunities he gives Fury to land those scoring blows. Lateral movement is one area that Usyk needs to improve on.

The expectation is that Usyk will be more confident and prepared heading into the rematch. The mental aspect of this fight, after all, Tyson had never lost before, cannot be overlooked or discounted.

Usyk Vs. Fury 2 Date:

Saturday, December 21

Usyk Vs. Fury 2 Time:

Card is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. ET. Main event is expected to begin around 6:00 p.m. ET.

Usyk Vs. Fury 2 How to Watch or Stream:

DAZN Pay-Per-View

Usyk Vs. Fury 2 Fight Card:

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk

Serhii Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) vs. Ishmael Davis (13-1, 6 KOs)

Moses Itauma (10-0, 8 KOs) vs. Demsey McKean (22-1, 14 KOs)

Johnny Fisher (12-0, 11 KOs) vs. David Allen (23-6-2, 18 KOs)

Dennis McCann (16-0-1, 8 KOs) vs. Peter McGrail (10-1-0, 6 KOs)

Isaac Lowe (25-2-3, 8 KOs) vs. Lee McGregor (14-1-1, 11 KOs)

Usyk Vs. Fury 2 Fight Week Schedule

Grand Arrivals on Tuesday, December 17 at 12:00 p.m. ET

Media Workouts on Wednesday, December 18 at 11:00 a.m. ET

Press Conferences on Thursday, December 19 at 10:00 a.m. ET

Weigh-In on Friday, December 20 at 12:00 p.m. ET

Usyk Vs. Fury 2: Predictions and Picks

The first fight between these two was a close one. However, I don’t think there is any way one could have scored the fight in favor of Fury, and I’m afraid I have to disagree that it was as close as the one judge had it in favor of Usyk. With that, I felt at the time, and upon rewatching, that Usyk was the clear winner.

I believe Fury will be better in the rematch. Still, the notion that he won the fight and that outside influences might have come into play in the decision going to Usyk seems wrongheaded and doesn’t give me the confidence that he will take the necessary steps to improve his game plan for the rematch. Could he do so? One hundred percent he could, and it would not be an earth-shattering surprise to see Fury walk away with a win on Saturday.

However, my predictions and picks for Usyk vs. Fury 2 is that Usyk will earn a decision win.