Oleksandr Usyk promises ‘changes in strategy’ for Tyson Fury fight

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Oleksandr Usyk has said he will make ‘changes in strategy’ for his fight with Tyson Fury, as the Ukrainian awaits confirmation of the pair’s long-awaited title bout.

Usyk and Fury are expected to meet in a fight to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion, with Usyk holding the unified belts and Fury entering as WBC title holder.

Both fighters are undefeated, with Usyk, 36, having most recently outpointed Anthony Joshua in back-to-back fights to win and retain the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles. Meanwhile, Fury, 34, stopped Derek Chisora in the Britons’ trilogy bout in December to retain the WBC belt.

Usyk, speaking on The Overlap in partnership with Sky Bet, said: “There will be changes in the strategy for the fight against Tyson, but I’ll continue to prepare in the same way. I’ll do lots of training, swimming, running, and boxing.

“There will be new workouts [as well], because Tyson is slightly different. He is big and tall, so his combinations and boxing style will be different.

“There won’t be any less work to do; if anything, there’ll be more of it.”

Fury and Usyk are expected to clash this spring, either in London or Saudi Arabia, with a date and location still to be confirmed.

“I need this fight with Tyson Fury and that’s it,” Usyk added. “He needs it, too. The fight is very important for both of us, because all four belts haven’t been held by one person for 30 years in the heavyweight division.”

Lennox Lewis was the last fighter to reign as undisputed heavyweight champion, having held the titles from 1999 until 2000.

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