Boxing will crown it's first undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis when Tyson Fury finally clashes with Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia in their long-awaited bout.
The two were supposed to fight each other in February before the Gypsy King suffered a cut in sparring just two weeks out from the fight, which saw it postponed until the coming weekend, with both men keen to prove themselves as the best in the world.
We'll take a look at the match-up between the two world-class boxers and see if we can earn you some extra cash while you watch the action with our best free boxing betting picks.
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Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk information
- Saturday, May 18th 2024
- Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Heavyweight division
- Undisputed heavyweight championship
- 12 x 3 minute rounds
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk odds
- Tyson Fury - (-115)
- Oleksandr Usyk - (+100)
This fight is sure to be an exciting one, with the stakes so high and two hugely confident heavyweight fighters coming in looking to cement their legacy.
Fury is undefeated in his professional career, holding a record of 34-0-1 including 24 knockouts and having won each of his last seven fights in a row. After a controversial draw in his first fight against Deontay Wilder he went on to beat him by knockout twice, after wins over Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin in warm up fights before the rematch.
He followed that with knockout wins over Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, before claiming a very controversial decision win over Francis Ngannou in his last outing in a non-title fight where he got knocked down by the novice.
Fury is the favorite coming into the fight at a price of -115, meaning you must stake $115 to see a $100 profit.
Usyk on the other hand holds a professional record of 21-0 with 14 knockouts, while making himself a two-weight world champion after holding belts at cruiserweight as well as heavyweight.
The Ukrainian became a household name when he knocked Tony Bellew out ferociously in the cruiserweight division, before making Chazz Witherspoon retire on his stool in the seventh round.
He then moved up to heavyweight and claimed the inter-continental heavyweight title with a win over Derek Chisora, before back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Anthony Joshua to become the WBA, IBF, IBO, WBO and The Ring titles.
His last outing saw him overcome trouble against Daniel Dubois to earn a ninth-round stoppage victory, bringing him into the fight as an even-money underdog, meaning you will double your money with a winning bet.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk preview
Both of these fighters pride themselves on their technique being what has got them to the top, but they may both have to get dirty if they want to find success.
Fury stands at 6ft 9' tall and will no doubt be heavier than his smaller opponent, and he will be using that size in order to find success. Fury's jab is one of the very best in the game, with great snap and speed as well as fantastic accuracy.
He also has a fantastic reach which means he should be confident at fighting from range and on the outside, which will keep Usyk away from using his greatest strengths.
The Ukrainian will want to get on the inside and work the body of Fury, while using his speed and forward pressure to make him fight off his back foot and lessen his power.
But it won't be easy to do and he will need to use his footwork and cardio to take the fight into the latter rounds and try to push forward to do his damage, while Fury will be looking to control everything at his own pace and land his bigger power shots.
Boxing Picks: The Gypsy King to become undisputed
It wouldn't be a surprise to see Usyk make his speed and forward pressure pay dividends, considering the way Fury performed the last time we saw him when he fought Ngannou.
However, the chances of seeing him perform that badly again after an extended camp and against a smaller opponent with the stakes so high are incredibly low.
With such a huge size advantage, plus the fact that he is actually younger and looks to be in great shape means he is the favorite for a reason. But to add to that, stylistically they also match up in his favor.
For Usyk to come out of this with a victory he will need to get beyond Fury's best offense, his jab and range control, and then also pierce his defense while avoiding Fury's power shots from in close. The Gypsy King will surely look to clinch and hold when in tight too so they are separated back to range.
Everything just adds up to a tactical win from Fury. Expect jabs, body work and a lot of clinching as the British fighter becomes undisputed to cement himself as the greatest modern heavyweight of his generation.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
