Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Uzyk meet Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+ Pay-per-view, noon ET) for a chance to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in a four-belt era.
Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs), is the WBC and lineal champion. Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts. The last undisputed heavyweight champion in boxing was in 2000 (Lennox Lewis, three-belt era).
Ahead of Saturday’s fight, Fury appears to be in better shape than when he had to take himself off the canvas in October in a split-decision win over former UFC champion Francis Naginno.
“It’s the fight of the century,” Fury told ESPN on Wednesday. “[An undisputed heavyweight championship fight] We look forward to a fantastic show like never before this century.”
The fight was scheduled for February before Fury suffered a nasty cut over his right eye during a sparring session. Usyk last fought in August, scoring a ninth-round KO against Daniel Dubois, where he was dropped by a body shot in the 5th round, but referee Louis Papon ruled it a low blow.
“Saturday is a special day because I get a chance to be Undisputed for the second time,” Usyk said. “It’s great. It’s very good for me. It’s very important for my country. I like it.”
Stay tuned for fight updates, round analysis and more.
