“I’m going to go in there with destroy mode. The last time I went to box him, I was being cautious,” Tyson Fury declared while on an appearance with TNT Sports in October. However, this time according to him, things are going to be different. “But this time I’m not going for a points decision. I am going to knock a motherf**ker out,” he added confidently. The much-anticipated rematch between The Gypsy King and Oleksandr Usyk for Usyk’s unified heavyweight title is scheduled for December 21 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The same night, several undercard fights featuring rising stars and seasoned fighters are set to take place.

Despite the anticipation for the main event, fans and analysts alike have expressed limited enthusiasm for the undercard. Why? Because the undercard features neither a world title fight nor a well-known boxing name. In spite of good matchups like Serhii Bohachuk vs. Ishmael Davis, Isaac Lowe vs. Lee McGregor, and Johnny Fisher vs. David Allen, the undercard has roused less excitement this time around. This might be the reason why DAZN brought in Tyson Fury to speak on his own undercard and, while there, give the viewers some predictions.

Tyson Fury predicts a KO win, for Usyk

The hilarious bit of Fury humorously announcing his picks was shared by DAZN on Instagram. Kicking off the list was the featherweight bout between Isaac Lowe vs. Lee McGregor. Despite Lowe being his teammate and friend, Fury sarcastically declared, “Issac Lowe, get knocked out first round.” The second was the super bantamweight bout between Denis McCann and Peter McGrail. The former WBC heavyweight champion predicted, “Unanimous decision, McCann, yeah.”

Regarding the heavyweight match between Johnny Fisher and David Allen, Tyson Fury remarked that he would favor Johnny Fisher, again, over his friend, David Allen. “As much as I like me ol’ pal, the White Rhino, Dave. Obviously I am going to pick, what’s he called? – The Romford Bull. Because he’s much younger and he’s had no stick,” he stated. Then it was over to another crucial fight.

When asked about the heavyweight fight between Moses Itauma and Demsey McKean, Fury confidently predicted a knockout victory for his sparring partner, Moses Itauma. He exclaimed, “Moses, knockout!”

He then proceeded to talk about the main event. However, unlike all the other times where he spoke highly of himself, this time around he gave himself no chance against the Ukrainian, sarcastically of course. When asked to make a prediction for his own fight, the Gypsy King responded, “Usyk one round K.O. Get your fu**ing money on. I am going down in the first.”

Despite the sarcastic nature of his prediction, Tyson Fury remains a picture of confidence and composure. It may have something to do with his strategy this time around.

Past holds the key for the Gypsy King

When the Morecambe native fought Deontay Wilder for the WBC title in the rematch in 2020, he weighed in at a whopping 273 lbs, almost 20 lbs more than what he weighed in during their first outing in 2018. And thankfully the strategy worked in his favor with the Morecambe native winning the fight via a seventh-round technical knockout. Hence, this time around, he banking on the same strategy to clinch the unified title away from Oleksandr Usyk.

“Tyson Fury is reportedly set to weigh around the 273lbs mark for his highly anticipated rematch against Usyk,” read an X post from IFLTV. The strategy was revealed by boxing insider Gareth A Davies. “That’ll be nearly a stone heavier than what he was for the first fight and around the same weight as to what he was when he stopped Deontay Wilder in their second fight,” highlighted the post.

During his last match against Oleksandr Usyk in May, Fury weighed in at 262 lbs. Now, in an effort to recreate the same magic as Fury-Wilder 2, the 36-year-old is aiming to step into the ring heavier than he did in May. Tyson Fury believes his power will be decisive in countering Usyk’s quickness, which has been pivotal in the Ukrainian’s victories, including his back-to-back wins over Anthony Joshua.

The bout holds immense historical significance as Fury has the chance to cement his status as one of the greatest heavyweights in history, whereas Usyk has the chance to join the ranks of boxing legends. As the countdown to December 21 nears its end, the Briton looks relaxed and upbeat. The only part remaining is to see whose strategy sees them through to the end. The answers to these questions will be revealed in the ring very soon.

What do you think? Will Fury’s weight-gain strategy tip the scales in his favor? Can Usyk’s technical prowess counter Fury’s physical dominance? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!