Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk face off on May 18 in the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship.

The fight is seen as a 50-50 bout, with both boxers coming in with mixed performances. Fury laboured past Francis Ngannou, winning a split decision after getting off the canvas. There were suggestions that Fury’s legs had slowed down or that he overlooked the former UFC Heavyweight Champion who was making his boxing debut.

Usyk is coming off a win over Daniel Dubois. The Ukrainian was dropped with a body shot in the fifth round, only to be deemed a low blow. The decision divided the boxing community, with some suggesting that Dubois had been deprived of becoming the Unified Heavyweight Champion. The rest was history, as Usyk stopped Dubois in round nine. Here are the key battles that will come up in the fight between Fury and Usyk.

Jab

Fury does have a constant jab, allowing him to dictate range and set up his shots. However, landing on Usyk takes work. The Ukrainian is elusive with his lateral movement, while he can counter the jab out of the southpaw jab. He did this against Joshau, who had no answer even when Usyk stood in center ring. However, Usyk’s jab is simply used as a range finder to set up the left land. But if Fury switches to southpaw, that makes the jab more pivotal.

Power

Fury has the power advantage since Uysk is coming up from cruiserweight. The Ukrainian has only stopped two people in his last five fights. Usyk failed to stop Derek Chisora and Anthony Joshua, showing he struggles against heavier boxers. Fury has become a power puncher of late, stopping Deontay Wilder in two fights and Dillian Whyte, showing he is not afraid of power to walk people down. The Gypsy King may not be a KO artist, but Usyk must respect his power.

Hook

Fury’s left hook will be critical to slowing down Usyk. If Fury closes the distance and fights on the inside, he can attack the body. He can also keep Usyk on the outside, landing that sweeping left hook without the risk of getting countered. Usyk’s right hook is not a standalone punch but a weapon used to set up other shots, which gives Fury the edge with this shot.

Straight Cross

Usyk can change angles at will, and his straight left is very accurate. He can also throw his left hand in a lopping fashion, as he did against Tony Bellew. Once Bellew wasa avoiding the straight left, Usyk changed it to a looping left hand, which was critical to stopping him. Fury’s right hand can be thrown down the pipe, although he does not have as much variation with it when compared to Usyk.

Uppercut

Fury has a dangerous uppercut and is very good at disguising it. This was shown during his knockout of Dillian Whyte. Fury landed the uppercut and pushed Whyte down as the Brit was stopped. Uysk does not have that weapon as much, rarely throwing it, which is understandable since he is not a power puncher. Usyk also risks leaving himself open in a throwing a shot that is unlikely to secure him a knockout.

Speed

Usyk is the quicker fighter, with his footwork dubbed the best in the division. The Ukrainian uses his lateral movement to create angles, get his shots off and move out of range. The Ukrainian also has good hand speed, as shown in the Joshua fight. He stayed in the pocket and countered Joshua’s jab without being hit. Since Joshua is a bigger puncher, he will fancy his chances against Fury.

Combinations

Both boxers are not big combination punchers like Anthony Joshua. But if you had to pick one, Usyk puts his shots together much better. The Ukrainian uses the left hand to open up his opponents, quickly followed by combinations, before moving out of range. Usyk showed his in the first Joshua fight, almost stopping him in the final round. But if Fury does land a combination, he is more likely to stop his opponent.

Defense

Uysk has shown he is vulnerable to the body. During the Joshua 2 fight, AJ had his best round in the second fight of the half, hurting the Ukrainian with a body shot. Dubois also dropped Usyk to the body, even if the punch was a low blow. Fury has shown he can be hit, getting dropped by Ngannou in his last fight. The Gypsy King also cut his right eye in sparring, as the fight was rescheduled for May 18. If Usyk targets that eye and it reopens, he will be a heavy favorite. Fury knows he cannot leave himself open, making this an intriguing encounter.

Predictions

“I want to attend this battle. You’ve probably heard this more than once, but I think Usyk is a phenomenal fighter, and he has a great team around him. You’re only as good as your team, and Usyk has a really great team. Having been in the ring with him and studied him, I believe he will win,” Joshua

“This is no disrespect, everyone has a beast inside and he reminds me of a little rabbit because he moves very well and no one can catch him. Then I look at Tyson Fury – he looks like a giraffe. I see them as two animals fighting each other, but who will win? Will it be a rabbit or a giraffe?” Lennox Lewis

“You don’t know which Usyk you’ll face in the ring. He is a capable, strong-willed man, and when he is in the ring, he knows that this is his finest hour. And he is one of the few fighters in the world who can rise to this level. He has such a psychology. Not everyone can do this. Oleksandr Usyk is a special guy, he is unpredictable and difficult to fight. A lot will be against you when you box Oleksandr Usyk. That’s why I believe he will win this battle. He will win either by unanimous decision or split decision over Tyson Fury. And he will become the absolute world champion,” James Ali Bashir

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