Tyson Fury weighed in at a career-high 281 pounds on Friday evening ahead of his unified heavyweight championship rematch against Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday. The 36-year-old, donning a burly beard and leather jacket, appears to be in good shape despite the weight gain.
Fury’s previous career-high weight was 277.7 pounds, which he achieved during his rematch with Deontay Wilder in February 2020. He plans to employ a similar strategy against Usyk, using his jab from distance to keep the Ukrainian champion at bay.
Usyk, the defending heavyweight champion, weighed significantly less at 226 pounds, donning a tracksuit and T-shirt. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist has competed at heavyweight for the seventh time but remains confident ahead of the bout.
Fury’s training regimen has been intense, with four sparring sessions per week. He also held camp in Malta to minimize distractions, having barely sparred in the lead-up to the first fight due to a serious cut over his left eye.
The rematch between Fury and Usyk is expected to be a closely contested bout, with both fighters ranked highly by ESPN. The undefeated Usyk, 37, is the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer, while Fury is listed at 6-foot-9 with an 85-inch reach.
Source: https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/43079822/fury-weighs-career-high-281-pounds-oleksandr-usyk-bout