Tyson Fury is looking to rebound after his May defeat to Oleksandr Usyk. Fury faded as the fight progressed and eventually lost by split decision. Top Rank promoter Todd DuBoef believes that Fury was not in his best form and will not take anything for granted in their rematch.

DuBoef anticipates that Fury will perform much better on December 21 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, especially after losing weight. The defeat to Usyk was the first in Fury’s career, leaving his record at 34-1-1 with 24 KOs.

Oleksandr Usyk remains undefeated and appears firm in holding on to his titles. DuBoef spoke to Sky Sports Boxing about Fury’s progress.

Tyson Fury to work harder in rematch with Oleksandr Usyk

DuBoef stated to Sky Sports, “I think he learned a lesson, and it was a hard lesson. But I also believe the other guy’s going to be better this time because he has more confidence. I think he’s going to not take things for granted, and I think he learned a hard lesson.”

Oleksandr Usyk punches Tyson Fury during the IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO and Undisputed Heavyweight titles’ fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk at Kingdom Arena on May 18, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

A key moment in their last fight was in the eighth round, when Usyk landed a right punch that caused Fury to touch his nose, followed by another shot that hurt Fury’s right eye.

In the end, the fight was decided by the judges’ scorecards, resulting in a split decision in favor of Usyk: Manuel Oliver Palermo scored it 115–112 for Usyk, while Craig Metcalfe had it 114–113 for Fury, and Mike Fitzgerald also scored it 114–113 for Usyk.