WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has revealed he is not currently in the gym preparing for his undisputed title clash with Oleksandr Usyk, claiming he only requires four to five weeks of training ahead of their February 17 fight in Saudi Arabia.
The British boxer made the surprising admission during a face-to-face interview with Steve Bunce, stating: “I’m not even in the gym. I don’t train this far out, c’mon. Who do you think you’re talking to, a professional athlete? I train four or five weeks for this fight…how much training does a man need? Three for sparring, one week resting.”
Fury will face Usyk, who holds the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles, in a bout to determine the undisputed heavyweight champion. The towering Brit appeared lean and relatively relaxed during the interview whilst his Ukrainian opponent looked focused.
An exchange between the fighters saw Fury comment that “a man who wears an earring in his ear can never beat Tyson Fury,” prompting a swift response from Usyk about his jewellery. The Ukrainian explained his earring honours his Cossack heritage, stating: “This is just the proof of my Cossack lineage. They never lost to anybody. There is no beauty or fashion in this.”
Fury acknowledged that Usyk had not originally featured in his plans for heavyweight dominance. “For me he was never in the equation. It was always me, Wilder, and Joshua. And then obviously he beat Joshua…so here we are,” he stated.
The British champion declined to engage in the verbal warfare typically associated with pre-fight build-ups, possibly due to Usyk’s limited English. Fury described both fighters as decent family men. “I think we both are decent men. We’re both family men, we’ve both got children, we’re both God fearing men,” he said.
However, Fury couldn’t resist making his trademark bold claim when referencing his opponent’s first name. “He’s Alexander, but I am the Great,” he declared.
The WBC champion emphasized he harboured no ill-feeling towards his opponent despite the high stakes. “I don’t hate him. I don’t dislike him, he’s a likeable character. I’ve got nothing bad to say about him. But it’s unfortunate for Olexandr that he’s got to face Tyson Fury in my era,” he stated.
Fury gave the impression the upcoming fight represents business as usual for him. “All we’ve got to do now is dance, and I look forward to the challenge,” he said, though his demeanour and statements are known to shift dramatically in the lead-up to fights.
Usyk, whose native language is Ukrainian, had limited verbal contributions during the interview but his few comments carried weight, particularly his response about his Cossack ancestry when Fury attempted to mock his earring.
The February 17 showdown in Saudi Arabia will determine the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era, with all major titles on the line between the two champions.
