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5 minutes Boxing’s first undisputed world heavyweight champion in a quarter of a century could be crowned on Saturday evening as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk go toe-to-toe at Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Arena
Boxing’s first undisputed world heavyweight champion in a quarter of a century could be crowned on Saturday evening as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk go toe-to-toe at Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Arena. Billed as ‘Ring of Fire’, the excitement is certainly hotting up in the Middle East and here at betting.bet you can find the latest fight news, boxing betting tips and the best fight odds courtesy of our betting partners at DAZN Bet.
Road to Undisputed
Both Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk head into Saturday’s superfight undefeated but they have tread very different paths to the summit of the heavyweight boxing world. Tyson Fury made his professional debut as a 20-year-old back in 2008, becoming British heavyweight champion within a year. In November 2015 Fury earned a famous victory over Wladimir Klitschko in Germany but a series of problems out of the ring meant he would not be seen again until 2018.
Fury’s road to redemption saw him wrestle the WBC heavyweight title from long-time champion, Deontay Wilder before earning defences against Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora and Francis Ngannou. Tyson Fury heads into Saturday’s world title fight with a 34-0-1 professional record.
Oleksandr Usyk turned pro as a 26-year-old in 2013 by which time he was already an Olympic and World Championship gold medallist. Usyk’s rapid rise through the professional ranks saw him become WBO cruiserweight champion in just his tenth fight. The cruiserweight World Boxing Super Series saw him become undisputed cruiserweight champion in just his fifteenth pro fight.
Usyk successfully defended his cruiserweight titles against Tony Bellew before stepping up to heavyweight. Early wins over Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora were followed by successive wins over WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO champion, Anthony Joshua. Usyk earned a controversial KO win over Daniel Dubois and now heads to Saudi Arabia with a perfect 21-0 professional record. Oleksandr Usyk is bidding to become the first two-weight undisputed champion in the four-belt era.
Betting Tips & Offers
Friday’s weigh-in could prove key when selecting your bets for this weekend’s main event. The common belief is that a significant height and weight advantage makes Fury the most likely to win within the distance whilst Usyk’s best chance of success is via a points decision. However, in the build up to Saturday many fans and pundits have commented on Fury’s slighter frame. There is now a belief that Fury could weigh in at his lowest ever weight as a professional whilst Usyk could tip the scales at his heaviest weight to date. What impact will this have on each fighter’s chances? We believe this increases the chances of the fight going the distance and at 4/9 this could be the best betting option. Additionally, if the fight does go the distance, DAZN Bet are offering a £5 free bet when you bet £10.
Two unbeaten heavyweights with very little between them meeting in the first undisputed heavyweight bout in the 21st century. In a bout this tough to call and with a rematch already signed and sealed, the draw may well prove incredible value at 16/1.
If we are to see a knockout on Saturday then Tyson Fury looks most likely to earn it. As the old saying goes “a good big man always beats a good little man” and Fury has won four of his last five fights within the distance. A Tyson Fury knockout win is priced at 14/5.
If there is one potential Oleksandr Usyk’s weakness for Fury to exploit it is that Usyk often takes a while to find his rhythm in fights. This was highlighted by his early struggles against Daniel Dubois whilst he was also troubled early against Tony Bellew before asserting his authority. In the second fight against Anthony Joshua, AJ was leading on the judges’ cards going into the final three rounds and if he is not at 100% on Saturday he may not be afforded the luxury of seeing the championship rounds. Fury to win in rounds 7-9 is our selection in the round group betting market at 10/1.
Fight Odds
| Tyson Fury | Draw | Oleksandr Usyk |
|---|---|---|
| 17/20 | 16/1 | Evens |
Method of Victory
| Tyson Fury to win | Oleksandr Usyk to win | |
|---|---|---|
| KO, TKO or disqualification | 14/5 | 9/2 |
| Decision or technical decision | 21/10 | 7/4 |
Where To Watch Fury v Usyk
A fight of this magnitude is inevitably going to attract a huge global audience and there will be no shortage of options when looking for a broadcaster televising Saturday’s main event. In the UK, the fight can be purchased via Sky Sports Box Office, TNT Sports Box Office or DAZN Pay-Per-View. All three platforms have the show priced at £24.99. The undercard will get underway at 5pm UK time whilst ring walks for the main event are scheduled for approximately 11:05pm UK time.
The Undercard
Saturday’s supporting act includes two world title fights as Welshman, Joe Cordina defends his IBF super-featherweight title against Anthony Cacace whilst Jai Opetaia and Mairis Briedis clash for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title. Below is a full rundown of Saturday’s Ring of Fire card.
- Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk (IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO world heavyweight titles)
- Jai Opetaia v Mairis Briedis (Vacant IBF world cruiserweight title)
- Joe Cordina v Anthony Cacace (IBF world super featherweight title)
- Agit Kabayel v Frank Sanchez (Heavyweight)
- Sergey Kovalev v Robin Sirwan Safar (Cruiserweight)
- Mark Chamberlain v Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab (Lightweight)
- Moses Itauma v Ilja Mezencev (Heavyweight)
- David Nyika v Michael Seitz (Cruiserweight)
- Isaac Lowe v Hasibullah Ahmadi (Featherweight)
