Whether you think Oleksandr Usyk is 2-0 up, or you pick Tyson Fury to even the score; the biggest winners from this weekend's rematch are undoubtedly the fans.
However, as this iconic rivalry enters its second chapter in Riyadh, one former UFC champion argues that victory for Oleksandr Usyk could come at the expense of the sport in general.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Former UFC two-time champion sounds the alarm ahead of Usyk vs Fury 2
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk represent the two greatest fighters in this modern era of heavyweight boxing, with their rematch taking place in just a few hours' time in the dunes of Saudi Arabia.
As the entire combat sports world counts down to what should be another fantastic night of action, former UFC two-time champion Henry Cejudo believes victory for the Ukrainian could “hurt” the sport.
“Looking at this fight as a whole, who would I like to see [win]I would love to see Tyson Fury go out and become heavyweight champion of the world,” Cejudo said in his YouTube recap: “But how can I doubt someone who has beaten everyone under the sun?
“When it comes to technique, tactics and actual skills, [Usyk] is the best, he's the best guy. He's not the biggest heavyweight, but he knows how to mix up his fights. For that reason I must give the crown to the undisputed champion.”
The former flyweight and bantamweight champion stated that while he predicts Usyk to win, he would much rather see Tyson Fury raise his hand for the “greater good” of the sport.
“I mean, there is [still] a big fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua – boxing wants to see that fight; it would be the biggest boxing fight in British history and the PPV figures would have excellent sales figures.
“Like [Usyk] wins, I hate to say it, but it hurts a bit in boxing… He's not as flamboyant or charismatic as a guy like Tyson Fury – who's the guy who will promote the sport a lot more, that's Tyson Fury.
While Cejudo may be right in saying that Fury is the more flamboyant character of the two, with 'The Gypsy King' having a much larger fan base in the United States, we might undermine his view that an Usyk win would hurt the club would do'. sport.
Oleksandr Usyk is an inspiration and a real superstar here in Europe; he has taken the sport's popularity to new heights thanks to his perfect title runs at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.
His two fights against Anthony Joshua also generated over 1.2 million PPV buys each, with the first Fury fight bringing in around 1.5 million buys; By comparison, 'The Gypsy King' vs. Deontay Wilder 2 drew 1.2 million.
Fellow UFC legend sees 'controversial ending' for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk 2
Should Tyson Fury emerge victorious on December 21, or if there is a controversial ending to their rematch, we can expect the trilogy to be booked sometime around mid-2025 – and that's exactly what UFC legend Dan Hardy predicts will happen .
In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, the popular “Outlaw” reportedly said on Saturday night that he “could see it going either way.”
“In the end I always have a slight preference for the technician, so I would choose Usyk because of his speed with the diversity of his movements and footwork. But Fury's sheer size, coupled with his fight IQ, makes it a very challenging fight to call.
“I'm leaning towards Usyk, but I imagine it's a controversial decision and we're going to reverse it.”
Fury vs Usyk 2 will air live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, December 21.
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