Dillian Whyte fires warning to Tyson Fury ahead of Oleksandr Usyk rematch, insisting the Brit could get KNOCKED OUT – as he explains what the Gypsy King needs to do better to avenge his only loss
Dillian Whyte has warned Tyson Fury to be ‘very careful’ against Oleksandr Usyk in their highly-anticipated rematch on December 21.
Fury suffered the only defeat of his professional career when he first clashed with Ukrainian Usyk in Saudi Arabia back in May.
Usyk appeared to be on the brink of a win via stoppage in the ninth round when he landed 14 shots to leave Fury wobbling.
The last of those punches caused Fury to slump into the ropes. The ropes kept him on his feet but it was still recorded as the ninth knockdown of his illustrious career.
Fury was able to survive the round before the fight went the distance and Usyk eventually prevailed by split decision.
They will now meet again, back in Riyadh, on December 21 and Whyte believes that Fury could get knocked out.
Oleksandr Usyk (left) and Tyson Fury (right) are set to fight again in a December 21 rematch
World heavyweight champion Usyk won their first fight via unanimous decision back in May
‘In heavyweight boxing, you’re always one punch away,’ Whyte told Sky Sports.
‘He caught him pretty good. In some places in the world, they would have stopped that fight.
‘But because of Fury’s nature and the fact he shows that he gets up and he can keep going, that’s why they didn’t stop it. But I think Usyk can stop him. Either man [can stop each other].
‘Fury had Usyk in big trouble, a few moments before. It just goes to show that Usyk is growing into the heavyweight physique and is a lot stronger and he’s punching a lot harder and is a lot more aggressive.
‘Fury needs to be very careful in the rematch, very, very careful.’
But Whyte is certainly not writing Fury off. The Gypsy King has previously beaten John McDermott, Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder in rematches and Whyte added: ‘History has shown never to go against Tyson Fury because he keeps bouncing back.
‘Every time he gets written off, he comes back and he gets better each time.
‘It’s like the fight with Deontay Wilder. He was better the second fight, better the third fight. Against John McDermott, he was better the second fight.
Usyk and Fury pictured facing off at a press conference at London’s Guildhall in October
Dillian Whyte (pictured) has warned Fury he could get knocked out by Usyk later this month
‘He seems to be one of those guys, when the pressure is on, he shows up.
‘For him to beat Usyk, I think he needs to use his size. He has to be more aggressive and he needs to push the fight. He can’t stay on the back foot because Usyk is a tactical genius.
‘He put a lot of pressure on Fury on the front foot, which we had never seen him do before, so Tyson needs to smother him and fight him like he fought Steve Cunningham. I think he needs to apply those sort of tactics.’
Pressed for a prediction, Whyte – who lost by a sixth-round technical knockout when he faced Fury in 2022 – concluded: ‘It’s a hard one to say, because if I’m a betting man, I would pick Oleksandr Usyk.
‘But I know from history and seeing Fury fight and knowing his resolve, and being in camp with him and fought him and seen that he has always bounced back.
‘It’s hard to go against him because you can’t just write him off. You think he’s finished, he’s not going to come back, and then he just comes back and produces the goods.’
Usyk is currently the favourite with all UK bookmakers, while Fury can be backed at around 6-4.
