Tyson Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum has been asked about his views of Fury’s last performance against Francis Ngannou and how he think he might impact his upcoming fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
Thanks to an injection of money from Saudi Arabia, the heavyweight division is moving fast at the moment. It was only back in October 2023 that Fury was last out in a huge crossover contest with former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou.
It didn’t quite go as planned, with Fury struggling to get to grips with the novice Ngannou while even getting clipped and knocked down down in the third round.
Since then there has been endless debate about whether or not it was a blip, poor preparation or a gradual decline in Fury’s abilities that account for his unexpectedly unimpressive performance.
Next up he has the biggest fight of his career on February 17 when he faces Usyk for the undisputed titles after recently running into Ngannou for the first time since their fight.
Ahead of that, Arum was asked by Boxing Scene if Fury had indeed aged.
“Let’s be honest. You watch Fury’s last fight with Ngannou, either he really wasn’t prepared for that fight, or he’s lost a step. When fighters get up in age, that happens. I really believe it’s the former – that Fury didn’t prepare as well as he should have [against Ngannou], who, by the way, has the tools to become a force in the heavyweight division.”
That said, he went on to get excited about Fury’s fight with Usyk.
“I really believe [Fury vs. Usyk is] going to be a fascinating fight. Usyk is a very smart fighter. He prepares extremely well. He’s fearless. That will be a very big test for Fury. Fury knows that. He’s been training assiduously for the fight.”
Fight fans don’t have long to wait to find out whether Fury has still got it.
