Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury prediction and betting tips - May 19, 2024
Oleksandr Usyk
Tyson Fury
On May 18th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a grand boxing event will take place, featuring a unification bout for the title of undisputed heavyweight champion of the world (over 90.7 kg) between Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk and Briton Tyson Fury. The fight is scheduled to start at approximately 01:00 Central European Time. This match prediction is provided by Dailysports experts.
Oleksandr Usyk
The European, World, and Olympic champion has been competing professionally since 2013. In 2016, as a mandatory challenger, he won the WBO cruiserweight title by defeating Krzysztof Głowacki. After two successful defenses, he participated in the World Boxing Super Series. By defeating Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis, and Murat Gassiev, he became the undisputed cruiserweight champion and entered the top 10 pound-for-pound rankings.
Since 2019, Usyk has been competing in the heavyweight division. In his third fight in this category, he won the WBA Super, IBF, and WBO titles by defeating Anthony Joshua and confirmed his superiority over him in the rematch. In 2023, Usyk defeated mandatory WBA challenger Daniel Dubois by technical knockout.
Tyson Fury
Fury has been in professional boxing since 2008. His rise was swift and aggressive. From 2009, he started accumulating victories: champion of England, Britain, and the British Commonwealth. In 2014, he won the European title by EBU and became the WBO mandatory challenger.
In 2015, he sensationally defeated long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko. He was supposed to give Klitschko a rematch but instead left boxing for 2.5 years due to scandals. In his third fight after returning, he attempted to take the WBC title from Deontay Wilder. The first fight ended in a draw, but he won the second and third fights by knockout.
In 2022, Fury easily defeated mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte. Last October, he nearly lost to MMA star Francis Ngannou, being knocked down but ultimately winning on points.
Interesting Facts and Head-to-Head
- Oleksandr Usyk — Ukraine, 37 years old. Professional record: 21 wins (14 by knockout) / 0 losses. Rankings (heavyweight): WBA Super, IBF, and WBO world champion.
- Tyson Fury — United Kingdom, 35 years old. Professional record: 34 wins (24 by knockout) / 0 losses and 1 draw. Rankings (heavyweight): WBC world champion.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury Prediction
Usyk is a maneuverable and awkward opponent due to being a southpaw. His advantages over Fury lie not only in mobility, technique, and speed but also in endurance and physical conditioning.
Fury prefers to fight at a distance, and in recent years, he has relied less on his mobility, defense, and reach. Now he is more aggressive and aims to overpower his opponents with sheer force.
Predicting the winner of this super fight is very challenging, as reflected by the betting odds. I expect the fight to last the full 12 rounds.
