Tyson Fury admits major lesson learned from Oleksandr Usyk ahead of rematch

Fury dominated the middle rounds of their first encounter but has acknowledged that his tendency to clown around may have affected his performance.

"I need to be more focused this time and not do as much showboating," Fury said, though he insists his swagger came from finding the fight "too easy".

A commentator had questioned whether anyone had ever seen Fury "clown this much, even against lower level opposition", highlighting the extent of his theatrical display.

"That's how easy it was for me and you can get complacent," Fury admitted, reflecting on his approach in the first bout.

The former champion is now ready to heed promoter Frank Warren's advice to "get down to business" in the rematch.

Despite his commitment to a more serious approach, Fury maintains the showboating wasn't the reason for his defeat.

"I don't believe the showboating cost me the fight but I need to be more focused this time and not do as much," he said.

Fury remains adamant about keeping his core strategy for the rematch, citing his control of the first fight.

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"Why would I change something when I had control of the fight for maybe 80 per cent of it?" he questioned.

The heavyweight boxer detailed his offensive success: "I'm landing on him at will, head and body, lead right uppercuts, left hooks, right hooks to the body, doubles at times."

He also predicted Usyk would need to alter his approach: "He ain't going to outbox me on the back foot. It's not possible. So he has to come forward and make a fight of it."

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Stream Usyk vs. Fury 2 on any device via DAZN

Stream the long-awaited rematch between the two best heavyweights in the world, Usyk vs. Fury. The clash will see Tyson Fury aim to avenge his first-ever professional loss, as he fights Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the second time in a year. DAZN lets you stream across a range of devices, from iPhone, Android, iPad, Fire TV Stick, Roku, Samsung TVs, and many more. New users qualify for a free trial. The fight is also available to stream via Amazon's Prime Video service too

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The first fight was marked by dramatic momentum shifts, with Fury appearing close to stopping Usyk in the sixth round.

However, the Ukrainian demonstrated remarkable resilience, turning the contest in his favour with a hard shot to Fury's nose in the eighth round.

The ninth round proved particularly decisive as Usyk overwhelmed his larger opponent, though Fury showed his fighting spirit by refusing to quit.

"After he hit me in round nine, he caught me with a few free shots and didn't knock me down," Fury reflected, comparing Usyk's power to that of previous opponents.

The bout ultimately went to the scorecards, with Usyk claiming a split decision victory.

Fury now shows a more respectful attitude towards Usyk compared to the build-up to their first fight.

"That's the best I've ever seen Usyk box," Fury acknowledged, having watched their first encounter "a hundred times".

He candidly admitted: "I didn't feel as if I could have knocked him out at any point. I hurt him a few times to the body and with head shots but I didn't feel I was going to take him out."

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The bout stands as Fury's finest showing in recent years. "It was my best performance in the last five years, probably more," he said.

"Before [the ninth round] I boxed unbelievable. I thought Usyk did good as well."