UFC Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has shared his early prediction for the upcoming mega-fight between boxing kings Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
Not only will the upcoming boxing bout in Saudi Arabia crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis all the way back in 2000, but also the first undisputed king of the four-belt era.
Tyson Fury finally takes on Oleksandr Usyk later this month
It was a fight that many within the boxing community were starting to lose hope would ever happen, yet worlds will collide from Saudi Arabia when ‘The Gypsy King’ Tyson Fury steps into the squared circle to face Ukrainian superstar Oleksandr Usyk.
The bout is set to be contested on May 18 from the Kingdom Arena, after previously being scheduled for February; only to be pushed back after Fury sustained a nasty cut above his right eye that required 11 stitches during training.
With only a few weeks before the PPV, fans and fighters from the world of combat sports are starting to share their early predictions for how the heavyweight clash will go down; including UFC champion Tom Aspinall.
UFC champion Tom Aspinall makes early prediction for Fury vs Usyk
UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is not only a close friend to Tyson and the wider Fury family but he’s also experienced the skills of ‘The Gypsy King’ up close and personal, having been a regular sparring partner down the years.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Fight Lab series via the TNT Sports YouTube channel, Aspinall was asked what he thought the keys to victory were for Oleksandr Usyk, and unsurprisingly, the fan-favorite MMA star was doubtful of the Ukrainian’s power:
“I sparred a lot with Tyson Fury, the guy’s a giant, the guy’s absolutely massive and when he starts walking forward at you, to put him on the back foot you need to have a lot of power in your hands and for Usyk to be able to do that and maintain that for 12 [rounds], it’s a big ask.”
“I’d be silly to go against Tyson Fury,” said the British MMA superstar, noting that there is one key factor that could end with his friend and sparring partner getting his hand raised:
“Does Fury still have the movement from earlier on in his career? That’s the big question, and for me, I think he does.”
“I’m an absolutely massive Usyk fan, absolutely love what he’s all about but Tyson Fury is my guy, I’ve got to go with him,” said Aspinall, who ultimately went with his countryman to earn a late TKO:
“I think if he gets Usyk on the back foot, walks him down and uses movement when he needs to, I would say Fury with the late stoppage: 10, 11, 12 – something like that.”
Usyk’s promoter asks fans to ‘pray’ for Fury in training camp
It was around this time, two weeks out from the bout, in February when Tyson Fury suffered a cut that ultimately saw the fight postponed until May 18.
Not wanting to see such an opportunity again slip through The Cat’s paws, Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk has jokingly asked fans to ‘pray’ for Fury’s training camp in order to protect him against any further injuries that could potentially put the fight in jeopardy.
Krassyuk told Sky Sports earlier this week: “I do hope that Tyson will wear his helmet, his protective gear this time and not injure his eyebrow or whatever he could injure, and that this time the fight on May 18 will go the way it should have gone in December and then in February.”
“It’s the fight of a lifetime. The whole world is waiting for it…Let’s pray for Tyson and expect that the guy enters the ring.”
The veteran promoter also teased “I can tell you about the secret weapon of Usyk’s, the only problem is it’s not a secret.”
“His weapon is his mind, his heart, his experience and boxing skills. And the main thing about him that is different from Tyson Fury is his discipline…That is what makes him great and it is his toughest weapon.”
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk goes down on May 18, from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.