Boxing will soon have its first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era. The long-awaited dream match between undefeated heavyweights Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk takes place on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
WBC heavyweight champion Fury (34-0-1) stakes his title against Usyk's (21-0) IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts. The winner will be the only boxer to hold the four major heavyweight boxing belts concurrently. The outcome of Fury vs. Usyk will raise new questions about how the winner measures up to undisputed heavyweight champs of the past like Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Mike Tyson and Rocky Marciano.
"I predict that somebody's '0' has got to go. And it's going to be that team over there, unfortunately for them," Fury said this week. "Oleksandr Usyk is a great fighter. Olympic gold medalist, cruiserweight world champion, heavyweight world champion. But, unfortunately for him, he has to come against the great Tyson Fury in the era of me. I'm really looking forward to Saturday night."
Fury appears in fantastic shape but has much to prove after a disastrous split decision win against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in the latter's professional boxing debut. Ngannou knocked down an overweight Fury who looked trepidatious despite his vast experience edge. Usyk looked sharp in his most recent title defense, knocking out a game Daniel Dubois despite a scare earlier in the fight. Dubois landed a punch that floored Usyk. The referee ruled the strike a low blow but detractors insist it should have been legal.
"I feel good. I'm very happy to be here," Usyk said. "Saturday is a special day because I will have the opportunity to become undisputed for a second time. It's great. It's very good for me. It's very important for my country. I like that.
"I have a plan. It's a better plan. And it's a great plan."
The action gets underway at noon ET on DAZN and ESPN+ pay-per-view. The full fight card with odds and complete viewing information is listed below.
Viewing information
- Date: May 18 | Location: Kingdom Arena -- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Start time: Noon ET
- How to watch: DAZN PPV, ESPN PPV, PPV.com | Price: $69.99
Fury vs. Usyk fight card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
| Tyson Fury (c) -115 | Oleksandr Usyk (c) -105 | Undisputed heavyweight title |
| Jai Opetaia -600 | Mairis Briedis +450 | IBF cruiserweight title |
| Frank Sanchez -225 | Agit Kabayel +188 | Heavyweight |
| Joe Cordina (c) -500 | Anthony Cacace +400 | IBF super featherweight title |
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