Oleksandr Usyk is confident he will not only beat Tyson Fury but stop him during their bout in Saudi Arabia next month, claiming the Gypsy King’s mind games ahead of the fight won’t work on him.
Usyk, who will go toe-to-toe with the Gypsy King on February 17 to unify the division for the first time since Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield in March 1999, says he has a ‘game plan’ for beating Fury.
The Ukrainian boxer has made it clear he wont be manipulated mentally Fury – stating the Gypsy King’s former opponents had already lost the battle before stepping into the ring.
Usyk said he is fully focused on himself and his training camp, telling Ring Magazine that he is taking no notice of what Fury is doing or saying ahead of the undisputed title fight.
Usyk went on to discuss the fight itself, claiming he is not concerned about the size difference between him and Fury as he will be too fast for the Gypsy King.
Oleksandr Usyk is confident he will not only beat Tyson Fury but stop him during their bout next month, claiming the Gypsy King’s mind games ahead of the fight won’t work on him
Usyk, who will go toe-to-toe with Fury on February 17 to unify the division for the first time since Lewis beat Holyfield in March 1999, humbled the Gypsy King during a TNT interview
The Ukrainian boxer has made it clear he wont be manipulated mentally Fury – stating the Gypsy King’s former opponents had already lost the battle before stepping into the ring
Speaking to Ring Magazine ahead of the bout, Usyk said: ‘I really don’t think about Tyson Fury. I don’t look at the way he acts and what he does.
‘Most of his opponents fell for it. I don’t. For me, I focus on how I am, and how I prepare for when I go into the ring.
‘Me and my trainer have watched his fights. We are preparing for everything. We have to watch what he is doing. I don’t care about what Fury thinks about me.
‘He can underestimate. He can overestimate me. I don’t care. I have my plans for him. I have advantages over him that he does not know about.’
When asked what that plan was, Usyk responded: ‘We are going to be the ones leaning on Tyson Fury [not the other way around].
He finished by saying: ‘To win this fight, I don’t need to be heavy, I need to be fast and quick. You never see a fat wolf in the forest.’
Egis Klimas, Usyk’s manager, is convinced the Ukrainian will emerge victorious on February 17. He says Usyk will ‘fear Fury down and stop him’.
Speaking to Ring Magazine, he said: ‘Usyk is always prepared mentally, he takes every fight very seriously.
‘We went through a lot to get this fight made. Usyk will beat Fury. I am sure it will not be easy. I would not even be surprised if he stops Fury.
‘The reason I say that is Usyk will wear down Fury and stop him. Fury has made a lot of money. He is not hungry anymore.
‘Like Oscar De La Hoya used to say. If you have $80 million in your bank account and you are sleeping in silk sheets, it is not easy to get up at 5 in the morning to run.’
Kilmas finished by saying: ‘Usyk is fighting for legacy. Money will come. He is fighting for his country.’
Usyk has demonstrated his ability to let Fury’s words wash over him in the past. During their press conference in London, Usyk refused to snap back at the Gypsy King.
He also responded in a cool, calm and collected manor when Fury decided to mock him for wearing an earing during a special face-to-face interview ahead of next month’s undisputed title clash.
The pair sat down with Steve Bunce to conduct the face-to-face interview – which was due to air closer to the fight. However, clips from their conversation have been leaked online.
The Gypsy King can be heard mocking Usyk – who will be putting his WBA, IBF and WBO titles on the line when he faces the WBC champion – for wearing an earring in his left earlobe.
Usyk has demonstrated his ability to let Fury’s words wash over him in the past – especially when the Gypsy King mocked him for wearing an earing
Instead of snapping back at Fury, Usyk simply explained how the earring was actually ‘proof’ of his ‘Cossack lineage’, claiming he wears the ‘warrior’ symbol out of respect
Instead of snapping back at Fury, Usyk simply explained how the earring was actually ‘proof’ of his ‘Cossack lineage’, claiming he wears the ‘warrior’ symbol out of respect to those who ‘defended my country from our enemies for many years’.
Fury started the exchange by saying: ‘I know he can’t beat me, I know he can’t. A man who wears an earring can never beat Tyson Fury, ever. Not a chance, no-one who wears earrings can beat him.’
Usyk took a moment before replying: ‘I can explain about the earrings. It’s Ukrainian warrior, Cossack. They were the people who defended my country from our enemies for many years.’
The 37-year-old went on to add: ‘This is just the proof of my Cossack lineage – they never lost to anybody. There is no beauty or fashion in this.’
The Gypsy King responded by saying: ‘Listen in Ukraine it means he’s a good fighting man, for him. But where I’m from it means he’s a p***y with an earring in.’