As the hours tick down to Tyson Fury‘s blockbuster showdown against Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia, the anticipation is only rising with the two fighters just one win away from becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
The Gypsy King brings his WBC belt to the table and with it, one of the most lucrative careers of the modern era.
On the other side Usyk, who prized away the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF and IBO straps from Anthony Joshua, is a decorated fighter that can boast an Olympic gold medal and he has already become an undisputed champion at cruiserweight.
Nothing separates the two stars in the pre-fight odds, and it promises to be an enthralling spectacle in the Middle East, with ring walks expected at around 11PM BST.
Ahead of their hotly-anticipated clash on Friday, Mail Sport takes a look at how Fury and Usyk compare in and out of the ring.
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Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will compete for the undisputed heavyweight title on Saturday
Fury (left) and Usyk (right) are two of the greatest boxers of their generation, but the pair have also enjoyed significant success outside of the ring, racking up large fortunes in the process
Fighting record
Fury’s exploits in the ring need little introduction, with the Gypsy King boasting a record of 34 wins and one draw from his 35 fight career.
Fury became world champion for the first time when he outpointed Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, claiming the IBF, IBO, WBA (Super) and WBO heavyweight titles.
Fury has been open about his struggles with depression and addiction since that fight, which led to a near three-year absence from the ring.
The now-35-year-old rebounded with his trilogy of bouts with Deontay Wilder, captivating fans.
The pair could not be separated by the judges in 2018, with Fury having remarkably recovered from being knocked down by The Bronze Bomber.
But Fury earned back-to-back wins in their next meetings to firstly claim and then retain the WBC heavyweight title.
‘When it comes down to it, every time I’ve delivered. I can only be the best of my day, I’ve done that: I’m the best fighter in my era,’ Fury claimed after the trilogy was completed in 2021.
‘Without sounding too sharp and clever, I believe that I could beat any man in history, any man born I believe I’ve got a really good chance of beating him.’
Fury, who has earned 24 knockout wins during his career, then saw off Dillian Whyte and old rival Derek Chisora in the ring.
His most recent fight came in October when he took on former MMA star Francis Ngannou in the Cameroonian’s first ever boxing bout.
Fury was ultimately handed a split decision win, although it wasn’t without controversy.
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The Gypsy King boasts a glittering record of 34 wins and one draw from his 35 fight career
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His most famous fights were the iconic trilogy against Deontay Wilder between 2018 and 2021
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His most recent bout was a controversial split decision win against Francis Ngannou last year
Meanwhile, Usyk has enjoyed an equally impressive career winning all 21 of his professional fights, including 14 via knockout.
The Ukrainian is viewed as one of the greatest ever boxers to hail from his country and he has held multiple world championships in two weight classes – cruiserweight and heavyweight.
As an amateur Usyk won heavyweight gold medals at the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympics, before turning professional in 2013.
After winning his first 15 fights, he first really began to come to the attention of British fans when he beat Tony Bellew via knockout in 2018.
After victories over Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora, he then defeated Anthony Joshua, winning the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles in the process, before he defended his crown against AJ the following year.
His most recent fight was in August 2023 when he knocked out another Brit, Daniel Dubois, in the ninth round, to ensure this blockbuster showdown with Fury was set up.
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Usyk has won all 21 of his fights and previously secured gold at the 2012 London Olympics
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Usyk took the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles from Anthony Joshua
Net worth
Fury’s distinguished career has seen his net worth rise to a reported £130million.
His career earnings are believed to have largely come from his iconic trilogy with Deontay Wilder. Forbes estimated that Fury earned £21m from his 2020 rematch against the American. The figure reportedly pushed his earnings in 2020 alone to over £41m, while he is claimed to have earned £50m from the third fight with Wilder and his 2022 meeting with Dillian Whyte.
The Gypsy King then reportedly received a further £65m for his crossover bout with Francis Ngannou last October.
However, Fury is also hugely successful outside of the ring through various investments and sponsorship deals.
His business portfolio ranges from his own energy drink, Furocity, along with book deals, Netflix documentaries, sports bars and financial investments.
Meanwhile, he sponsored the shorts of Morecambe, his local football club, for the 2022-23 season.
Fury also has several endorsements with various companies, including Italian fashion brand Claudio Luigi, along with Wow Hydrate and Lund Group, with Forbes reporting he earned £6.5m last year through sponsorship alone.
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Tyson Fury’s business portfolio stretches far and wide, including his own energy drink
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Fury and his family have also featured in a Netflix documentary, ‘At Home with the Fury’s’
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Usyk’s net worth has risen dramatically since his double victory over Anthony Joshua
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He boasts several endorsement deals with the likes of Rival, Jaxet, Lomus and We Play Esports
Meanwhile, Usyk’s net worth is believed to be more modest, with Spanish outlet Marca reporting it to be around £45m.
However, his wealth has dramatically risen since his back-to-back fights against Joshua in 2021 and 2022, with the Ukrainian reportedly earning around £57.5m from those bouts.
Usyk – who is set to rake in around £35m from his showdown with Fury – has also seen his coffers boosted by endorsement deals.
These include with Boxraw, a sportswear brand focused on boxing, while he also has deals with the likes of Rival, Jaxet, Lomus and We Play Esports.
Lifestyle, partners and kids
Fury is well-known for his relationship with Paris, with the childhood sweethearts marrying when they were 21 and 19 respectively.
The couple welcomed their seventh child last September, who they named Prince Rico Paris Fury. Paris revealed that Tyson had narrowly missed the birth due to his training camp.
The couple are also parents to Venezuela, 13, Prince John James, 11, Prince Tyson II, seven, Valencia, five, Prince Adonis Amaziah, four, and Athena, two.
Paris has insisted relationships are all about the ‘give and take’ and before the fight with Ngannou in October she explained how Tyson was going to take over childcare duties after the bout.
She said: ‘He’s in training for a fight at the moment so I am at home with the kids but when he comes back he takes over.
‘Relationships are never 50/50 sometimes they’re 60/40. It’s all about the give and take.’
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Fury married his childhood sweetheart Paris when they were 21 and 19 respectively
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The couple welcomed the birth of their seventh child, Prince Rico Paris Fury, last September
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Usyk is married to Yekaterina, commonly known as Kateryna, and they tied the knot in 2009
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The couple have three children together and they are extremely popular back home in Ukraine
Meanwhile, Usyk is married to Yekaterina, commonly known as Kateryna, with the couple tying the knot in 2009.
Kateryna keeps much of her life private, but reports claim she is extremely popular back home in Ukraine.
Kateryna is reported to run the Usyk Foundation, which was created to help Ukrainian Forces and Ukrainians affected by the Russian aggression in the Russia-Ukraine war.
She has a limited profile on social media, but Kateryna shares three children with Usyk – Kyrylo, Mykhalio and Yelizaveta.
Devastatingly, their family were forced to flee their home in Vorzel, Bucha, when Russia troops overran the area.
Reflecting on the struggles he and his family face, Usyk has previously heartbreakingly said: ‘My children are asking: “Daddy, why do they want to kill us?” I don’t know how to answer that.
‘My family are not in Ukraine now but a lot of people I know and a lot of my close friends are inside the country. I am in touch with them every day, I am asking them for updates.
‘I didn’t want to leave the country. I want to live there, still. Straight after the fight I will go back to Ukraine.’
Houses and cars
Fury has quite the array of properties both home and abroad since shooting to the top of the boxing world, many of which have been showcased in his ITV and Netflix documentaries.
The 35-year-old has a five-bedroom family home that overlooks his beloved Morecambe Bay and that property was valued at £550k back in 2021.
A walk in wardrobe was a frequent sight on his wife Paris’ social media stories, featuring designer handbags and glamorous outfits. The house also has several of Tyson’s trophies and awards on the walls among several oil paintings.
While he still owns the property, Fury moved his family to a new seaside mansion in 2020.
He spent just shy of £1.7m on the property that has ‘Gypsy King’ emblazoned on the driveway complete with a water fountain and a mini-playground.
The Furys are up to seven children now, so more space was needed and his wife told Loose Women that they moved to allay security fears, too.
Fury is also said to own a stunning white-cobbled mansion in Marbella, Spain – where Usyk has trained for this fight – reportedly worth up to jaw-dropping £6m. The heavyweight kingpin is said to have purchased the home after being impressed while training out there himself.
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Fury moved his family to a new seaside mansion in Morecambe in 2020, which is worth £1.7m
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The Gypsy King is also said to own a stunning white-cobbled mansion in Marbella, Spain
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Fury also bragged back in May 2021 that he had bought a sprawling place (above) in Las Vegas
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Usyk has a more modest array of houses, although he recently purchased a villa in Marbella
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Mail Sport recently went behind the scenes in Spain to look inside Usyk’s training camp
Pictures from 2018 have shown Fury in front of the property which features columns, large windows and an array of palm trees, though not much else is known. After revealing the pad on his Instagram story he said: ‘New house had to treat myself.’
Fury also has two properties in Las Vegas which he primarily uses for when he is fighting in the United States. He has repeatedly stated he will always be based out of Morecambe despite the temptations of the US.
One of the properties is said to be a stunning mansion that his trainer SugarHill Steward primarily stays in.
‘My trainer SugarHill is living in the house rent-free right now, sending me photos of all the fun he is having. I love it over there,’ Fury said.
Usyk has a far more modest family home back in Vorzel, Ukraine, an area that was occupied by Russian soldiers not too long ago.
In fact, It was reported that the house was used as a base by the Russians, before they trashed it and left. Usyk’s wife, Yekaterina, shared pictures of the damage.
As part of his training in Spain ahead of this fight, it’s understood that he purchased a villa in Gandia on the east coast of Spain and he’s often seen training on the beach there.
Meanwhile, given the fortune he has amassed over his 16-year professional boxing career, it is perhaps no surprise Fury has splashed out on cars.
Back in 2022, he took to Instagram to show off his fleet of supercars outside of his £1.7m home in Morecambe. He boasts two Rolls-Royce Cullinan cars, which cost upwards of £300,000 in his collection – which is believed to be worth more than £1m.
The boxer’s car collection includes further Rolls-Royces, a G-Wagon, a classic Mini Cooper, a Range Rover as well as multiple Ferraris.
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Fury’s extravagant fleet of supercars are believed to be worth in excess of £1million
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His collection includes Rolls-Royces, a G-Wagon, a classic Mini Cooper, a Range Rover as well as multiple Ferraris
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Fury with his Rolls-Royce Phantom ahead of his bout with Otto Wallin in September 2019
Tyson Fury shows off new Rolls-Royce after cashing in £26.2m
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Usyk’s car collection is more private but he received a personalised Audi RS Q8 last year
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The specialised model was adapted in relation to his nickname of ‘The Cat’, with an emblem of the animal plastered across the front of the bonnet and within the car’s interior
Usyk’s car collection is less well-known, although the Ukrainian reportedly owns a BMW M8 Gran Coupe, a Mercedes-AMG and a Smart Fortwo car.
However, Usyk’s favourite vehicle is said to be the Audi RS Q8 and last year a personalised model of the car was made for him with a twist.
The Ukrainian’s nickname is ‘The Cat’ and the specialised model was adapted as such, with an emblem of the animal plastered across the front of the bonnet and within the car’s interior.
Trainers
Fury is trained by SugarHill Steward after linking up with the American in 2019 when he parted ways with Ben Davison.
Steward first collaborated with Fury for his rematch against against Deontay Wilder in 2020, which he won.
The pair subsequently worked together in the trilogy fight with Wilder, along with Fury’s victories over Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora and Francis Ngannou.
It is clear the pair have struck up a strong relationship, with Fury recently namechecking his trainer in the build-up to the fight with Usyk.
‘I’m sure Sugar [Hill Steward] has got an idea for what he wants me to do in the fight,’ he told Sky Sports.
‘For me, I’ll figure it out when I get in there. I’ve seen many styles before. I’ve fought orthodox and southpaws, tall, short, fat, thin… I’ve fought them all.’
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Fury has been with SugarHill Steward (left) since 2019 and they have enjoyed success together
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Usyk is trained by Anatoly Lomachenko, the father of lightweight boxer Vasyl
Usyk opens up on his father and sends a final message to Fury
Meanwhile, Usyk is trained by Anatoly Lomachenko, the father of lightweight boxer Vasyl.
Mail Sport recently visited Usyk at his training camp in Valencia to learn more about the Ukrainian’s brutal, and occasionally strange training regimes.
This includes sparring more than 250 rounds in camp, cold water dips, five hour swims, coin tricks and dancing.
Despite the weird and wonderful techniques, it is clear it has worked so far in his career and Usyk is looking in fine fettle ahead of this weekend’s showdown.
Physique
Fury has always joked about his weight and physique, with the Gypsy King opening up to Mail Sport about his ‘love handles’ in the build-up to his clash with Ngannou last year.
However, ahead of this weekend, Fury looks in stunning shape and many have argued he’s never looked better in his career.
Usyk called the 35-year-old ‘skinny’ when he saw Fury’s body transformation for the first time, with the Ukrainian’s promoter Alex Krassyuk claiming he had lost weight ‘because he’s nervous’.
The Gypsy King weighed in at 277lbs for the fight against Ngannou, claiming he had been ‘living like a monk’ in the build-up to that.
Eight months later, Friday’s weigh-in saw Fury clock in at a svelte 262lbs – over 39lbs heavier than his opponent.
He measures at 6ft 9in and his reach is reported to be 80in.
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Fury, who measures at 6ft 9in, is looking in tip-top shape ahead of this weekend’s showdown
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The Gypsy King has shredded some weight and some say he is as fit as he has ever been
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Despite his smaller frame, Usyk is also looking in prime physical condition ahead of the fight
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Usyk’s training methods are known to be brutal, but he has honed his craft in recent months
Given Usyk’s history at cruiserweight, it is unsurprising that he is shorter, lighter and has a smaller reach than Fury, but that doesn’t mean he should be taken lightly.
The Ukrainian has a formidable physique and still stands at 6ft 3in tall, boasting a reach of 78in.
For his fight with Dubois, Usyk weighed in at 220.9lbs, which was 12.3lbs lighter than his opponent, yet he still knocked him out within nine rounds. He recorded his career-heaviest weight on Friday evening, at 223lbs.
Predictions
Fury was as boisterous as ever when discussing his chances in the build-up to the fight this week.
Despite facing the biggest test of his career, Fury told Sky Sports: ‘Why will I win? Because it’s what I do. I win, win, win no matter what. I’ve always won.
‘What I deliver is victories. Whether it’s by an inch or a mile, I deliver every time. Sixteen years as a pro, I’ve been delivering my whole life. They should call me the midwife because I always deliver.
‘At the end of the day it comes down to who wants it more on the night and I think I’m that man.
‘This is the era of Hector and Achilles,’ he added. ‘So when there was two top fighting men in that day, the two best was Hector and Achilles. This is it. This is for who’s the Hector and who’s the Achilles.
‘I believe the Achilles is me.’
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Fury was as boisterous as ever when discussing the fight and backed himself to secure a win
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Fury was less outgoing and instead outlined his excitement at the challenges he is facing
Usyk was more circumspect with his predictions and rather outlined his excitement at the challenge ahead.
‘I’m accumulating my energy because Saturday, it’s a very important day for me,’ he told Sky Sports News.
‘It’s a big thing to become because undisputed champion means you’re number one in the division, all that stuff that comes with it, to have all the belts at once. Before, last time, there were only three belts.
‘There’s a lot more to fight for now. It’s the first time in history that there’s been more belts than Lewis and Holyfield fought for back in the day. I’m really excited and looking forward to the task.’
