Tyson Fury vows to fix issues in Oleksandr Usyk rematch, gets brutally honest about what cost him the first fight: "I got complacent"
The buildup to the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury rematch on Dec. 21 has already seen 'The Gypsy King' shift in tone. He initially rejected the split-decision loss he suffered to the Ukranian great, arguing in the post-fight interview of their first fight that Usyk was favored by the judges.
He reasoned that Usyk was the recipient of sympathy over Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, his home country. Now, however, Fury appears to be more accepting of the loss, highlighting potential mistakes he committed during the fight that may have cost him the win. Mistakes he now promises to rectify.
On a recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Fury was asked about the changes he'd make for the rematch, and 'The Gypsy King' responded in detail.
"I think that I... the adjustments I need to make is less complacency. A little bit more focus and less clowning, because I was clowning a lot in the ring. I was doing a lot of showboating and messing around. I wasn't focused 100% when I was in there. I was playing a lot of times and enjoying it too much, and I think I became complacent and got caught."
Check out Tyson Fury's thoughts on his loss to Oleksandr Usyk (4:19):
Fury is known for his boastful nature, often peacocking both inside and outside of the ring. However, against Usyk, who nearly knocked him out in round 9, the Brit looked listless.
Tyson Fury suffered his first-ever professional loss against Oleksandr Usyk
Part of the hype surrounding the initial Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandar Usyk bout was due to both men's undefeated records. Fury was undefeated at 34-0-1 and held the WBC heavyweight belt. Meanwhile, Usyk was 21-0 and held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles.
Check out the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk highlights:
The two men clashed in a thrilling contest that saw them both find moments of success. Unfortunately for Fury, a pivotal round 9 moment for Usyk, which saw the latter knock him down, swung the fight in the Ukranian's favor. Ultimately, Usyk extended his record to 22-0, while Fury lost for the first time, going 34-1-1.