Boxing star Oleksandr Usyk reveals what he told Tyson Fury after controversial Francis Ngannou win
Boxing news: Oleksandr Usyk has opened up on his chat with Tyson Fury after Francis Ngannou win
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Boxing star Oleksandr Usyk has revealed he told Tyson Fury to take a break after the Gypsy King beat Francis Ngannou last weekend.
The 35-year-old was unconvincing during the showdown in Riyadh and was knocked down in round three.
Fury was then able to secure victory, with the veteran coming out on top via split decision.
Usyk was ringside for the battle and, after the fight was done, stepped into the ring for a chat with Fury.
Boxing news: Oleksandr Usyk feels Tyson Fury needs a break after his controversial win over Francis Ngannou
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The two men are poised to go up against each other in February, with that fight moved back having originally been pencilled in for December.
And Usyk has now shed light on what he said during their conversation.
“From the point of view of someone who knows what boxing is – how hard it is after a fight, how you want to howl, not see anyone, rest in the dressing room – I didn’t want any extravagant emotions," he told TNT Sports.
"I just want to announce our fight.
“During our face-to-face I told him ‘Mate, you need to take a proper rest now.'”
Fury was confident his fight with Usyk would happen in December.
But that showdown has now been pushed back with the Brit needing more time to prepare, despite talk of a potential lawsuit from Saudi Arabia chiefs.
Fury's fight with Usyk will be the first undisputed heavyweight championship contest since the days of Lennox Lewis.
And the Ukrainian is eager to make his late father proud.
"He managed to watch me become an Olympic champion [in 2012], but I didn’t make it on time to show him the gold medal," he said.
"We were on the way back from London and I was already in one of the cities in Ukraine.
"Three more days and I would have been leaving but I was waiting for a supercar to arrive.
"I wanted to bring it with me and show him what a cool car I had. My mom called me at 3am and told me [the news].
"When I arrived, he had already been lying in the wooden box [coffin].
"I put down my bag, handed him the medal, held it like this with his dead arm and went out of the room."
Usyk also revealed his father was on his mind when he attended Fury's victory over Ngannou.
"When I was standing among these superstars I spoke to Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, all these stars," he continued.
"I was thinking about my dad and I thanked him.
"I knew he was watching down on me."
Usyk could be forgiven for using Fury's poor performance against Ngannou as trash talk before their own match.
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But that's something the 36-year-old isn't interested in doing as their bout creeps closer.
“No, I am a man, I don’t work like that," he said.
"Tyson Fury is closer to me than Ngannou. Ngannou is a nice guy and I respect him.
"I just can’t use dirty tricks. I have children and my sons watch me, many people watch and follow me.
“One cannot behave like a pig and remain a human being at the same time. If you behave like a pig, you are a pig."