McGregor Gives His Take On Fury vs. Usyk – ‘Usyk Can Do It’

Conor McGregor gave his take on Tyson Fury’s fight with Oleksandr Uysk on May 18. 

The Undisputed Heavyweight Championship takes place on Saturday, with the winner becoming the best heavyweight of this era. They can follow in Lennox Lewis’ footsteps in becoming the first undisputed champion since 1999 when Lewis beat Evander Holyfield. The fight is seen as 50-50, with the odds reflecting that. Fury’s size and weight are seen as a key advantage that could allow him to overpower Usyk like he did to Deontay Wilder.

But Fury’s weight seems lighter, suggesting he may seek to outbox him. Usyk appears to have put on more weight. The Ukrainian may sit down on his punches and negate any grappling that Fury may try to impose. However, that could come at the expense of his speed and footwork if it slows him down. McGregor has been on the biggest stage since he was a two-weight UFC champion. Based on his analysis of the fight, he saw it as a close bout.

McGregor Reacts

“Usyk is a crafty, crafty boxer. If anyone can do it, maybe Usyk can do it. Tyson is also a crafty boxer. Plus, he has the size. Tyson is a tough man to beat in the boxing arena,” McGregor said 

Nevertheless, that all depends on whether Fury can use his size advantage. Usyk will have a bigger target to aim for. He could throw the Gypsy King off his rhythm, making Fury second-guess his game plan. The WBC Heavyweight Champion has been backed to target the body. But in doing so, he will have to fire punches from an awkward angle, given his six-foot-nine height.

That proposes problems as Fury may leave his face uncovered, giving Usyk a chance to counter. The Ukrainian has also teased boxing fans with how he may approach the fight. During the media workout, he was seen switching stances to orthodox. It is not clear if this is something Usyk could utilize or if it was a case of mind games. David Haye’s win over Nikolai Valuev showed that skills pay the bills. Haye negated Valuev’s huge size advantage when his opponent stood at 7 feet tall.

Will Size Matter?

Haye would end up winning the WBA Heavyweight Title via a split decision. His speed and power played a big role in offsetting Fury. Usyk also showed that size was not a factor when he beat Anthony Joshua twice. Joshua is the biggest combination puncher in the heavyweight division. But Usyk sat in the pocket, traded with Joshua and out landed him on his way to two unanimous decision wins. But Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, was confident of a win. 

“I think that’s what’s going to happen to Usyk. He’ll do him at his own game. Because he’s very, very smart. He keeps working hard but he’s going to be super-fit for this fight and I’ll tell you why – because even if he was carrying excess weight, he hasn’t got to lose it because he was so fit from the training before he got cut. He looks in marvellous, marvellous condition. As far as physical condition is concerned, he’ll be in the best shape I believe he’s ever been in,” Warren stated