Tyson Fury shows off incredible new figure ahead of Oleksandr Usyk rematch as fans insist he ‘needs to come in heavy’ for title showdown

Tyson Fury has left fans speculating that he will try a different approach to beat Oleksandr Usyk in their upcoming heavyweight title rematch after he was spotted looking huge in sparring sessions.

The Gypsy King is seeking to enact revenge on his Ukrainian opponent after having his undefeated record shattered as Usyk became unified heavyweight champion in May.

Fury has maintained a low profile as he continues to work through an intense training camp alongside trainer SugarHill Steward ahead of his rematch against Usyk on December 21.

His previous defeat saw Fury outclassed in the ring by Usyk who again delivered on his underdog status and displayed incredible athleticism to negate the pair’s height and reach distance.

But, Fury looks set to make the most of his size advantage against Usyk next month with the 36-year-old looking to have packed on serious muscle mass ahead of the mouth-watering contest.

The Wythenshawe-born boxer has been recruiting a vast array of sparring partners in preparation to take on Usyk, with Kevin Lerena amongst those hired by Fury’s training team.

Usyk became the unified heavyweight world champion after previously beating Fury in May

Fury and Usyk previously squared off at their press conference in London last month

The duo went toe-to-toe in a series of intense sparring sessions and the South African shared an image of the pair standing side-by-side afterwards, with Fury’s giant figure taking fans by surprise.

Fury tipped the scales at 18st 7lbs for his defeat against Usyk and on first glance could top that for their second showdown, having previously recorded a heaviest fight weight of 19st 8lbs for his previous crossover clash against Francis Ngannou.

Reacting to Fury’s muscular figure, one supporter posting on X stated: ‘I feel Usyk has Fury beat in terms of skills, so Fury has to use his weight advantage, which he didn’t last time.’

Another fan similarly added: ‘Yes I think he needs to come in heavy and get back to what he does best putting his weight on fighters to tire them down and catch them coming off them with his power. He can still move great when he’s heavy.’ 

Fury tipped the scales at 18st 7lbs for his defeat against Usyk earlier in the year

Fury took a similar approach to his first stunning victory over former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and used his weight to great effect by pinning the American in the corner and proceeding to unleash a flurry of punches.

He could attempt to do the same against Usyk, but some critics argue that an increase in weight might give the Ukrainian an even greater technical advantage.

‘In my opinion, Fury’s best performance of his career was against Klitschko. That said, Usyk is not Wilder. Fury’s main issue in May was the stamina gap: showing up heavier would make things even more difficult for him,’ said another post on X.

Fury and Usyk will meet for the second time at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles on the line.