Tyson Fury faces the fight of his life on February 17 – a history-making undisputed clash with fellow undefeated champion Oleksandr Usyk.
He has, as of writing, nine and a half weeks to prepare for the tricky Ukrainian southpaw, who is looking for the second four belt clean sweep of his career after doing it at cruiserweight.
The fight was initially pencilled in for December 23 – now replaced with an intriguing heavyweight card – but Fury’s tougher-than-expected bout with boxing debutant Francis Ngannou left him needing some rest and recovery.
Now signed and sealed for February in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Usyk has started his training camp in Valencia, Spain. Following a short break after the Ngannou split-decision win, Fury’s prep is now underway in Morecambe.
Undefeated Irish heavyweight Thomas Carty shared a picture of the pair in the gym.
Back in camp with the Gypsy King @Tyson_Fury 👑 pic.twitter.com/lxHPSzngA6
— Thomas Carty🇮🇪 (@thomas_carty) December 12, 2023
As camp progresses, the sparring partners for each man will be of great interest to fans. Neither are easy to emulate, and many have tried and failed in the past.
There were conversations with undefeated cruiserweight Jai Opetaia – who now fights on the December card – on Fury’s side, but it’s so far unknown who could be helping Usyk recreate the height and reach of ‘The Gypsy King’ in Spain.
Preparation is perhaps more important than ever for this one. The fight will be a chess-match between two elite operators, and Fury has been accused recently of not taking camp as seriously as he once did, something he disputes.
The picture from the gym is also a good sign for those in the sport – and there are a few – who believe the fight may still be pushed back despite being made official.