Tyson Fury insists he will cement his place as the best heavyweight of his generation when he faces Oleksandr Usyk for the unified world title in Saudi Arabia next month.
The Riyadh bout was rescheduled for May 18 from its original February 17 date after the British boxer suffered a cut in training, causing the division's first undisputed title fight in 25 years to be postponed.
Ukraine's Usyk holds the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts, while Fury is the WBC champion. Former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk has won all of his 21 professional bouts, while Fury has 33 victories and one draw on his record.
The 37-year-old Usyk won his heavyweight titles by beating Britain's Anthony Joshua in 2021 and has defended his belts twice, including in an August 2022 rematch with Joshua. May's clash pits the division's universally recognised No 1 and No 2 fighters against each other and Fury is adamant it will be him who comes out on top.
"This is my time, my destiny, my era and my generation. Fact," declared the outspoken British fighter at a press conference in his hometown of Morecambe on Wednesday.
Fury looked in considerably better shape than his last outing – a humiliating split decision victory over MMA import Francis Ngannou in October 2023. Fury was even sent to the canvas by novice Ngannou, who was subsequently destroyed by Joshua in less than two rounds.
The 35-year-old was unusually subdued after that brush with defeat but the old bravado seemed to be back as he made a number of bold statements and predictions. Fury, who first won the world title against Usyk's countryman Wladimir Klitschko in 2016, is confident his size advantage will prove decisive.
Fury stands 2.06m tall – 15 centimetres more than his opponent. He weighed 126kg for his fight against Ngannou, while Usyk tipped the scales at 100kg for his most recent title defence against Daniel Dubois.
"This is not personal, it's strictly business for both fighters. I don't hate him, I respect him as a man, as a fighter," Fury said.
"He's unified heavyweight champion so anyone should respect his achievements. But I'm very confident in my ability.
"My personal opinion is we have weight divisions for a reason. When the cruiserweights step up to the big boys, they're found wanting. You can beat the average big ones but not the elite big ones.
"We have weight divisions for a reason and he's going to be found wanting when he fights me on May 18."
Fury's promoter Frank Warren was similarly bullish, claiming that body shots will prove the difference.
Dubois floored Usyk heavily in the fifth round with a contentious low blow last August. The referee ruled it low and allowed Usyk time to recover and he later won by ninth round stoppage. Dubois, also promoted by Warren, claimed he had been cheated out of victory.
"He doesn't like it to the body, that's for sure, and for me the biggest exponent of exploiting a boxer's weakness is the professor here [Fury] and that's what he does," said Warren.
"If anybody's going to exploit it, it's going to be Tyson. He's got the mental capacity to do that and keep doing what he has to do. I genuinely believe that Tyson will win this fight in explosive style."
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Januzaj's club record
Manchester United 50 appearances, 5 goals
Borussia Dortmund (loan) 6 appearances, 0 goals
Sunderland (loan) 25 appearances, 0 goals
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
