WBC champion Tyson Fury will defend his belt against IBF, IBO, WBA, and WBO heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk to unify the heavyweight titles. The 12-round championship bout will take place on Saturday, May 18, at the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) has won seven straight fights but looked lethargic in a split decision win over former MMA star Francis Ngannou seven months ago. The Gypsy King has notched knockout wins in four of his last five fights.
Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) has yet to taste defeat as a professional and knocked out Daniel Dubois in the ninth round in his last fight nine months ago. The Cat is a ring technician who has picked up a decision win in four of his previous five fights.
Fury (-105) is the favorite to unify the heavyweight title against Usyk (-125), per BetMGM sportsbook. This fight is a toss-up with both fighters capable of notching the win. All signs point to an exciting battle that should go the distance.
Fury is a well-rounded fighter who refuses to use his massive 6-foot-9 frame and significant reach advantage to keep opponents at bay while racking up points. The 35-year-old Brit is an unpredictable fighter who prefers to use customized fight plans for each matchup. He has won 24 of his 35 career fights via knockouts, including four of his previous five bouts.
The 'Gypsy King' is a versatile fighter adept at using a counterpunching approach or creating angles with excellent footwork. Fury is a master of the feint and commonly offers several feints before unleashing his powerful punches. However, the Manchester native often confuses his opponents by throwing punches without feinting.
Fury also boasts an arsenal of different jabs and has strong footwork skills for a man of his size. But it is his defensive talents that separate Fury from the majority of heavyweights. Besides employing footwork and feints to improve his defense, Fury utilizes shoulder rolls, ducks, slips, and parries to avoid punches with seemingly little effort.
Usyk's fighting style is fashioned around his southpaw stance and allows him to throw harder and faster jabs with his strong hand since he is a natural right-handed puncher. Fighting as a southpaw also allows the Ukrainian to play havoc with the rhythm and timing of orthodox fighters and takes advantage of complex angles.
The 37-year-old possesses an active lead hand and uses hard parries that enable him to blunt his opponents' punches. Usyk has garnered 14 knockouts in his 21 career fights, and his non-stop hand movement allows him to switch between head and body shots easily.
Although Fury has been tagged as a slight favorite, two-time former unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is confident that Usyk will prevail and unify the heavyweight title.
"I've fought Usyk so I can only speak on what I've experienced with him - phenomenal fighter, I would say he's gonna do a really good job," Joshua said.
"I've never fought Fury, so I can't speak on what it's like to face him. Only speaking on what I know, I have to say Usyk will be victorious." For those looking to place wagers, exploring the best boxing betting sites can provide valuable insights and odds for this fight and other major matchups.
Betting Pick: Usyk
Betting odds for this heavyweight title fight are live on well-known and trusted NY sportsbooks, including BetMGM, which has tagged Fury as a -105 favorite. The most common bet type for this boxing matchup is the moneyline, a wager on who will win the fight outright.
Considering how both fighters are undefeated, with Fury's only blemish being a draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018, this fight could go either way. Fury scored a TKO victory over Derek Chisora 18 months ago, while Usyk earned a unanimous decision win opposite the same fighter in 2020. However, Usyk is our pick to win the fight, and a $100 wager on the Ukrainian at odds of -125 would net a total payout of $180.
The Over/Under bet is another popular type, where you wager on the number of rounds the fight will last. Given that six of Usyk's previous eight fights have gone the distance, we do not expect the fight to end in the early rounds. Thus, betting Over 10.5 rounds could be a winning pick.
When and Where is the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk Fight?
The 12-round heavyweight championship fight will occur on Saturday, May 18, at the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Boxing fans in New York can watch the fight live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
WBC title holder Tyson Fury is the slight favorite against IBF, IBO, WBA, and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk. Fury is a -105 betting favorite, while Usyk is the -125 underdog, per BetMGM.
Joe Cordina and Anthony Cacace will battle for the IBF super-featherweight title, while Jai Opetaia and Mairis Briedis will butt heads for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title. Other matches include heavyweights Agit Kabayel and Frank Sanchez, a cruiserweight matchup featuring Sergey Kovalev and Robin Sirwan Safar, and a lightweight collision between Mark Chamberlain and Joshua Oluwaseum Wahab.
Bets can be placed during the fight as it is happening with live odds that are constantly changing based on what's happening real-time inside the ring. The most popular types of in-play bettings are moneyline wagers representing the odds for who will win the fight outright. Other live betting types include the method of victory, total rounds (how long a fight will last), prop betting, and parlays.
Boxing fans can place various wagers on this undisputed heavyweight title clash at BetMGM, a popular sportsbook in New York.
