Fury vs Usyk 2 LIVE: Latest news and weigh-in updates as as camps engage in dispute over judges

Fury will reportedly not have to trim his beard for his rematch with Usyk this weekend.

Fury, who claimed he cut himself off from his family during an intense training camp, has sported a long beard this week, as he aims to avenge his sole professional loss – a split decision against Usyk in May. That result kept Usyk unbeaten and saw him crowned the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years.

And ahead of Saturday’s second meeting in Riyadh, where Usyk defends the unified belts this time, the Ukrainian flagged Fury’s beard as a potential concern.

“It is interesting,” Sky Sports’s Andy Scott said on Friday (20 December). “[Fury] is calling it ‘beast mode’, it’s very much a camp mentality; he’s grown out the beard [in] a hard training camp.

“During the discussions, it was flagged by team Usyk. ‘Will Tyson Fury be required to trim that beard?’, presumably because it acts as a cushion.

“The commission ruled ‘no’, because – as it is – there are no specified rules. They want a trim and neat beard, so they don’t want a sharp beard that you could use to rub on your [opponent’s] face and aggravate a cut, and obviously they don’t want something that is too extreme.

“But they were quite happy with that beard, and this is not stating the obvious but: it’s not gonna grow [much] overnight! So, it is a relief that it isn’t gonna become a talking point, but it is worth flagging.”

More here:

In their first fight, round six looked like the beginning of the end for Usyk, who was wincing after everybody shot from Fury, who then made those clever switches to attack the head with the right uppercut.

At one point, Usyk was staggering perhaps as badly as he ever has. But then the 37-year-old, as he tends to, began to motor as the bout entered its second half, building momentum and narrowing the deficit.

And then came the fateful moment. In the ninth frame, Usyk – backing Fury up to the ropes and squaring his feet to open up the southpaw left hook – pummelled the Briton. The towering Fury was now teetering, stumbling and swaying across the ring, devoid of his senses. He was arguably saved by a strange standing count from the referee, before the bell sounded. It was a stunning visual and a moment that could have proven controversial.

But Usyk did what was crucial: He kept pressuring Fury, forcing the Briton to focus on defence. With that, Usyk arguably took the final few rounds to complete a remarkable comeback.

The scorecards threatened to deny him his destiny, as so many numbers have done to so many deserving boxers over the decades. But mercifully the judges, between them, got the decision right – just.

Report from Riyadh on the night of Usyk vs Fury 1:

More here after Anthony Joshua makes his prediction for tomorrow night’s huge rematch:

Anthony Joshua, who has twice lost to Usyk on points and long been linked to a fight with Fury, has made his prediction for tomorrow’s main event.

“I think it’s going to be a tough fight early on, and then I feel like Usyk will edge it again,” the former world champion said, via the Mirror.

“He’s a class operator, and I feel like Usyk’s one of the best out there. That’s why I think he’ll win.”

A reminder that today’s weigh-in is scheduled for 5pm GMT, although previous events this week have taken place later than stated.

As for tomorrow...

The first fight is set for 5pm GMT (9am PT / 11am CT / 12pm ET), with main-event ring walks scheduled for 10.15pm GMT (2.15pm PT / 4.15pm CT / 5.15pm ET).

Anthony Joshua may not engage in a risky rematch with Daniel Dubois after all, according to Saudi adviser Turki Al-Sheikh.

In September, Dubois dropped Joshua three times en route to a fifth-round knockout win, retaining the IBF heavyweight belt against his fellow Briton.

Talk quickly turned to a rematch of the Wembley showdown, but Dubois has since been paired with Joseph Parker, who will challenge the 27-year-old in Riyadh in February.

When Al-Sheikh was asked about Joshua vs Dubois 2 on Thursday, he told iFL TV: “Of course I want to see it again, but I don’t think it will happen again.”

Joshua’s other main option for his next bout is a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury, yet – as ever – there are complications there.

Fury, who challenges Oleksandr Usyk for the unified titles tomorrow, is contracted for a trilogy fight with the Ukrainian, 37, if he emerges victorious in Riyadh.

So, Joshua faces an uncertain 2025. More here:

There will be a late change to the judging panel for Fury’s rematch with Usyk, with one judge withdrawing due to illness – a matter that has led to a dispute between the fighters’ camps.

Tomorrow’s rematch, for the unified heavyweight titles, is set to be scored by US judge Pat Morley and Puerto Rico’s Gerardo Martinez, who were set to be joined by Fernando Barbosa.

But Barbosa withdrew due to illness late on Thursday, before he could fly to Riyadh.

Dan Rafael reported that the American will be replaced by compatriot Steve Weisfeld, who made the journey to Saudi Arabia on Thursday night. But Sky Sports said another official has also made the trip to Riyadh, and that Fury and Usyk’s teams are split on which judge should replace Barbosa.

Fury’s promoter Frank Warren has reportedly suggested that a coin toss should settle the issue, but the commission must find a way to resolve the matter.

More here:

As the weigh-in edges closer, why not read our piece on Usyk from May – ahead of his first fight with Fury – on the Ukrainian’s role in the war with Russia?

It features interviews with Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk and other compatriots.

There were signs in the first fight that the end is not far away for either of the two men.

Fury is now 36, has fought 36 times and has been a professional boxer for 17 years. He has also had bad years, days when he looked at death, hid in the darkest of places and gained 10 stone in flab.

Usyk is 38 in January and has never had an easy fight since turning professional in 2013; he has been matched hard from the start and in 22 fights he has managed to become the undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.

In private, they talk of exhaustion and bodies that are simply getting closer to shutting down. At the end of the first fight, they were both near collapse.

Full preview by Steve Bunce:

There has been a late change to the judging panel for Fury’s rematch with Usyk, with one judge withdrawing due to illness.

Tomorrow night, Fury will fight Usyk in Riyadh, seven months after losing to the Ukrainian via split decision in the same Saudi city.

Usyk’s victory kept him unbeaten and crowned him the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years, while Fury suffered defeat for the first time.

Their rematch, for the unified titles, is set to be scored by US judge Pat Morley and Puerto Rico’s Gerardo Martinez, who were set to be joined by Fernando Barbosa.

But Barbosa withdrew due to illness late on Thursday, before he could fly to Riyadh. Replacing the American is compatriot Steve Weisfeld, who made the journey to Saudi Arabia on Thursday night.

The news was reported by Dan Rafael early on Friday.