Tyson Fury outweighs Oleksandr Usyk by 29 pounds ahead of their colossal undisputed heavyweight championship in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
First on the scale was Usyk, who weighed 233.5 pounds, the heaviest he has ever weighed. Fury weighed in at 262 pounds, about 15 pounds lighter than he weighed during his fight against Francis Ngannou.
The pair then faced off in the middle of the stage, with Fury and Usyk going head-to-head. Tempers flared and the pair pushed each other apart.
Both fighter teams intervened to pull the pair apart as tensions bubbled up on stage.
Usyk arrived first at the arena and was in great spirits as he jumped up and down dancing as he made his way to the stage.
The Manchester-born fighter then followed him in, wearing navy blue sweatpants, a hat and no top. He also looked excited as he punched his hands in the air on his way to the stage.
Fury and Usyk sat at a press conference in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, with Fury refusing to confront Usyk, crossing his arms and staring at the crowd in the arena as the Ukrainian stared at him.
Asked why he wasn’t facing Usyk, Fury told Sky Sports: “He looks scary.”
He added: “I’m just here now to relax and wait until I get in the ring on Saturday night. All the talking is done, all the interviewing is done. I’m very relaxed and focused.’
Usyk said: ‘Let’s make history. Enough.’
Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of their consideration, Joseph Parker said: “He’s just a lot more confident going into this fight and that also comes down to his work and the team he’s had in his camp. The sparring is the most important part leading up to this fight.”
He added: ‘The advantage for Tyson is his size and reach and I think he should use that advantage. I know he’s lost a lot of weight, but he’s still a big man.’
Parker added, “Usyk is crafty and phenomenal, though.”
Carl Frampton also gave his assessment on how Fury can use his physical attributes to beat Usyk ahead of their weigh-in.
“There’s a lot more to him, even though people just say Tyson Fury is too big and too strong, but all the other attributes, his height, reach and weight,” he told TNT Sports.
“There’s a lot more to Tyson Fury than just being a big man.”
Fury has recently been praised by many for his recent body transformation ahead of Saturday’s fight, with the WBC heavyweight sporting a much leaner physique.
After months of build-up, Fury appears to have been working very hard in the gym and his strength and conditioning coach, Kristian Blacklock, previously claimed before the fight was postponed that the Gypsy King is in the ‘best shape of his life’.
He said: ‘As a team we had Tyson Fury in the best shape of his life as we quietly chipped away, stronger and leaner, but we will be ready if the fight is rescheduled.’
His strength and conditioning coach has claimed Fury is now ‘stronger and leaner’
Tyson Fury shared his phenomenal body transformation on social media after his undisputed title clash with Oleksandr Usyk was postponed
Fury has been praised for his training regime and physical fitness ahead of his fight
The Gypsy King’s S&C coach Kristian Blacklock said Fury was in the best shape of his life ahead of the Usyk fight – claiming he was ‘stronger and more learner’ than ever before
Much has been said about Fury’s pre-fight diet and training plan, with nutritionist Greg Marriott revealing to Men’s Health that the boxer consumed 3,000 calories on rest days and between 4,000 and 6,000 calories on training days.
He said the Gypsy King eats up to six meals a day in the run-up to the battle.
Fury has previously shared photos of his strict diet, with the WBC heavyweight posting a photo of a salad, chicken and rice to his social media.
There have also been claims that Fury has added more garlic to his diet in a bid to help him recover from the cut he received above his eye during a sparring session earlier this year.
But there are some concerns that the British fighter’s weight loss could have a detrimental impact on his striking power.
Marriott provided some insights into Fury’s diet over the past six months Air sports on Thursday: ‘We went to Jeddah in November and did a fat loss camp there for six weeks, after which we started training seriously. I was in camp with him for six months.
Tyson Fury shared a photo of his chicken, rice and salad lunch with fans on social media
‘Listen, he tells me himself that he will never get a nice body. That’s not the point. The body composition that has changed on him… I think people think he’s going to be 17.13 – never.”
“People say, ‘What has changed in the camp in the last three years?’ Me. I’m not great, that’s all. I came in and said, ‘Okay, this is what we’re going to do.’ And that’s nice, because he has trusted me with everything.’
‘Look what he does to Usyk. It’ll be man versus boy, I promise. He is serious Tyson Fury at this point,” Marriott added.
Usyk has also undergone an incredible transformation in recent years. As his opponent seemed to become leaner, the Ukrainian fighter tried to add mass and strength.
Usyk was previously a cruiserweight before making the move to the heavyweight division
The Ukrainian has undergone a huge transformation after becoming a heavyweight boxer
The 37-year-old had won his first world title at cruiserweight and has only fought six times in the heavyweight division. He was also remarkably undefeated in 16 bouts at cruiserweight.
Still, his seamless transformation into the heavyweight division is partly due to his excellent directing training and dedication to the craft.
More to follow…