Boxing will soon have its first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era. The long-awaited dream match between undefeated heavyweights Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk takes place on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
WBC heavyweight champion Fury (34-0-1) stakes his title against Usyk’s (21-0) IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts. The winner will be the only boxer to hold the four major heavyweight boxing belts concurrently. The outcome of Fury vs. Usyk will raise new questions about how the winner measures up to undisputed heavyweight champs of the past like Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Mike Tyson and Rocky Marciano.
“I predict that somebody’s ‘0’ has got to go. And it’s going to be that team over there, unfortunately for them,” Fury said this week. “Oleksandr Usyk is a great fighter. Olympic gold medalist, cruiserweight world champion, heavyweight world champion. But, unfortunately for him, he has to come against the great Tyson Fury in the era of me. I’m really looking forward to Saturday night.”
Fury appears in fantastic shape but has much to prove after a disastrous split decision win against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in the latter’s professional boxing debut. Ngannou knocked down an overweight Fury who looked trepidacious despite his vast experience edge. Usyk looked sharp in his most recent title defense, knocking out a game Daniel Dubois despite a scare earlier in the fight. Dubois landed a punch that floored Usyk. The referee ruled the strike a low blow but detractors insist it should have been legal.
Two IBF championship fights are also on the card. Jai Opetaia is widely expected to recapture the IBF cruiserweight title he vacated last year after the IBF denied his voluntary defense request against Ellis Zorro. He takes on former three-time cruiserweight champion Mairis Briedis, looking to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to Opetaia in July 2022. Undefeated IBF super featherweight champion Joe Cordina takes on Ireland’s Anthony Cacace, riding a six-fight winning streak.
“I feel like a whole different version of myself now. I’ve picked it up a few levels. I’m 28 now, just going into my prime,” Opetaia said this week. “I feel like I’m the next generation of greatness coming through. I look around, and I see greatness everywhere. And I’m honored to be in front of them, but it’s my time now. I feel I’m the next generation of greatness, and I told him that last fight.”
The action gets underway at noon ET on DAZN and ESPN+ pay-per-view. The full fight card with odds and complete viewing information is listed below.
Viewing information
- Date: May 18 | Location: Kingdom Arena — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Start time: Noon ET
- How to watch: DAZN PPV, ESPN PPV, PPV.com | Price: $69.99
Fury vs. Usyk fight card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
| Tyson Fury (c) -115 | Oleksandr Usyk (c) -105 | Undisputed heavyweight title |
| Jai Opetaia -600 | Mairis Briedis +450 | IBF cruiserweight title |
| Frank Sanchez -225 | Agit Kabayel +188 | Heavyweight |
| Joe Cordina (c) -500 | Anthony Cacace +400 | IBF super featherweight title |
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