Tyson Fury fights are rarely without layers of intrigue, and Saturday night’s undisputed heavyweight title clash with Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh has more than most.
At 35, Fury heads into an era-defining bout against the unbeaten Ukrainian with debate raging over his conditioning, his form, the tactics he might employ and whether the elite heavyweight of previous conquests will reappear after years of relative inactivity and tepid performances.
The consensus is that he will need to rediscover his best against Usyk, an opponent who always arrives in shape, whose talent and consistency have enabled him to transition from cruiserweight and climb to within one victory of being crowned the best big man on the planet.
The capricious Fury insists it’s a challenge that will bring out the best in him, that he has blown hot and cold in the past merely because he felt insufficiently threatened.
“If you put these average men in front of me, like [Derek] Chisora and Dillian Whyte and Francis Ngannou … I am not getting turned on, they’re not my type, if that makes any sense – but I am definitely turned on for this one," Fury said of Usyk.
“You put me in a six-rounder and I look [bad], but if you put me at the top of the world, on the world’s biggest stage, and I look good – I always do. That’s how it rolls.”
It seems that many agree. Despite recent struggles, Fury will start as a slight favourite at Kingdom Arena on Saturday night.
It’s the same venue in which he suffered near-disaster against the MMA import Ngannou last October, when poor conditioning and underestimating the man in the opposite corner left the ringside Usyk squirming in his seat, unsure if he was watching the undisputed fight evaporate before his eyes.
That Riyadh showpiece was Fury’s first outing in almost a year, his second in 20 months, and it showed.
He was supposed to be taking part in a glorified sparring session ahead of the real fight. It was to be the most lucrative spar in history, coming after the most lucrative training camp in history. How shrewd, it was claimed – until Ngannou sat him down in the third.
Needless to say, Fury’s fitness has been a hot topic, particularly after a cut in sparring moved the fight back three months from its original February date.
It says a lot that some – including members of Usyk’s team – immediately cried foul. As the blood flowed, so did the conspiracies.
Grainy mobile phone footage purported to show the moment the damage was done. Pictures were posted and, finally, Fury appeared alongside Turki Alalshikh, the custodian of Saudi boxing, eye stitched up, ready to explain what had happened and confirm a new date.
“If Fury was acting, then he deserves an Oscar,” said Usyk this week.
The extra three months of training certainly haven’t hurt Fury’s chances, judging by the slimmed down and upbeat fighter who peacocked into fight week in Riyadh.
“Congratulations on finally getting fit,” sniped Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk.
Fury agrees that the delay has been to his benefit.
“It didn’t sink in for a few hours, until I had the stitches in, thinking, ‘It’s all off’, then I was quite down … for a few days I was depressed,” he told TNT Sports.
“But as soon as we went to Turki’s house, and we got it all sorted and put back on for another date then I was alright. Because I know that postponements have always helped me in my life, and it is all God’s timing – if you believe in that sort of thing.
“I remember when I was supposed to fight Wladimir [Klitschko] on September 1, in 2015, I was over-trained. I had to lose a lot of weight – six or seven stones as usual – and I didn’t have it in me. I was feeling very rough and, thank God, he pulled out. He got an injury, a calf injury. He postponed it and it was a blessing for me. It’s been the same this time.”
The scepticism arose because with Fury, things are often not quite what they seem. The cruiserweight Jai Opetaia, who fights Mairis Briedis on Saturday’s undercard, tells a story about asking for a picture for his Instagram after a sparring session – Fury made him wait while he stuffed bundles of clothing inside his gym gear so he would appear out of shape.
Such playful deception is typical of a man who enjoys the psychological warfare ahead of a big fight and is usually happy to feed the media frenzy in the days before the opening bell.
On Friday, at the official weigh-in, his conditioning will be there for all to see. While his physical state has fluctuated wildly over the years, Fury has always arrived in fighting shape for his biggest tests.
The night he dethroned Klitschko in late 2015 he was as fit as he’s ever been, boxing up on his toes, producing a measured display full of guile and agility.
Then there was his 2020 rematch with Deontay Wilder, for which he transformed himself into a human wrecking ball, his arms, shoulders and chest visibly enhanced as he planted his feet and pulverised the American in a career-best display.
That version of Fury has been conspicuous by its absence ever since, but on Saturday night, he is confident he will prove once again that he is the man for the big occasion.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Company%C2%A0profile
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Fifa Club World Cup:
When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid
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HAJJAN
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Brief scores:
Toss: Australia, chose to bat
Australia: 272-9 (50 ov)
Khawaja 100, Handscomb 52; Bhuvneshwar 3-48
India: 237 (50 ov)
Rohit 56, Bhuvneshwar 46; Zampa 3-46
Player of the Match: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Player of the Series: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
