Former multi-weight world champion Andre Ward has made his prediction for the upcoming fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
The wait is almost over for the much-anticipated clash. It comes a couple of months later than initially expected following Fury’s harder-than-predicted fight against former MMA champion turned boxing novice Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou has been given a Top 10 rating by the WBC following the bout which saw him pose plenty of problems for Fury, including knocking him down in the third. That rating is something Ward has voiced his displeasure about this week.
In his last three fights, Usyk, meanwhile, has continued the form he showed to become an undisputed cruiserweight champion and has beaten Anthony Joshua twice over 12 rounds and knocked out Daniel Dubois.
Speaking to MMAFightingonSBN, Ward found it a tough one to call.
“It’s hard to know what to make of this fight, it’s a good big man versus a good little man and typically you go towards the good big man. Usyk is gunna be tricky for Fury cause Fury’s not used to fighting a smaller guy like that.”
He then talked himself into siding with Fury when all is said and done.
“That being said, the last fight [with Ngannou] notwithstanding, you have to think Fury’s going to find a way to figure it out. I think it’s going to be a great fight. I’m glad Usyk is finally getting the fight, and given Fury’s last performance, the odds have leaned in Usyk’s favour. It’s tight, but I think you have to lean on Fury finding a way to get this done.”
Whoever comes out with the belts, it is finally the top-level match-up the boxing world wants to see.