The rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury takes place on Saturday evening with the WBA, WBO and WBC heavyweight titles on the line.
In the first instalment in May, Usyk came through an absorbing fight by majority decision, and the Ukrainian will now be looking to further strengthen his legacy against an opponent who is now in need of revenge in order to retain his own.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sports Mole takes a look at the tale of the tape.
© Imago
OLEKSANDR USYK
AGE: 37
NICKNAME: The Cossack
HEIGHT: 6ft 3ins
REACH: 78ins
TRAINER: Sergey Lapin
FIGHTS: 22
WINS: 22
DRAWS: 0
DEFEATS: 0
KNOCKOUTS: 14
LAST FIGHT: Majority decision vs. Fury (May 2024)
Having become undisputed world champion at two different weights across his last eight fights, some may feel that Usyk has little else to prove in this sport.
Murat Gassiev, Tony Bellew, Anthony Joshua (twice), Daniel Dubois and Fury have all been dispatched since July 2018, the only scares coming when being floored by a debatable low blow versus Dubois and losing the first half of the fight to Fury.
Nevertheless, now at the age of 37, Usyk is not in a position where complacency can or will set in, aware that he is fighting to retain a legacy that will already stand the test of time.
He may have just one knockout across his last five bouts, and just two at heavyweight, but Fury experienced Usyk's sharpness and accuracy when being taken to the brink of being stopped in their first encounter.
© Imago
TYSON FURY
AGE: 36
NICKNAME: Gypsy King
HEIGHT: 6ft 9ins
REACH: 85ins
TRAINER: SugarHill Steward
FIGHTS: 36
WINS: 34
DRAWS: 1
DEFEATS: 1
KNOCKOUTS: 24
LAST FIGHT: Majority-decision defeat vs. Usyk (May 2024)
Having already battled back from mental health and weight issues to become a two-time world heavyweight champion, Fury deserve the plaudits that he has received.
However, with wins over a gun-shy Wladimir Klitschko and a limited-albeit-destructive Deontay Wilder the solitary world-class results on his record, Fury needs to win this rematch to retain his credibility at the highest level.
That particularly rings true in light of being dropped by MMA fighter Francis Ngannou in a bout that many feel he was fortunate to win, and he has taken counts in three of his last five fights.
Rumours suggest that Fury could come in heavier than the 262lbs that he weighed for the first fight, and he may need that extra strength to threaten the 25th knockout of his career.
>>> Click here to read our full preview piece, including the stacked undercard
Darren Plant
