Timothy Bradley explains why a ‘bigger’ Tyson Fury could knockout Oleksandr Usyk

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have, at this moment in time, cemented their place as the two most elite heavyweights of the modern era.

For Usyk, a former undisputed cruiserweight champion, the idea of stepping up to the land of the giants always represented a formidable hurdle.

And yet, while he weighed around 40 lbs less than Tyson Fury back in May, the Ukrainian put on a comprehensive display to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.

As for Fury, his legacy will largely be defined by how he responds to his first professional defeat, with a shot at redemption against Oleksandr Usyk arriving on December 21.

Timothy Bradley can see Tyson Fury bulking up for Oleksandr Usyk rematch

During their first encounter, Fury was able to have a large degree of success in the middle rounds, particularly in round five when, after landing a series of thudding combinations, he appeared to hurt the 37-year-old.

But then, Usyk rallied back to unleash a terrific onslaught in the ninth round, when he scored a standing count against his significantly larger opponent.

And so, it was at this moment when, in the eyes of Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley, Fury had begun to take his eye off the ball.

“[Fury] just lost focus for a split second, and that’s all it takes for Usyk,” Bradley said on ProBox TV. “If you give Usyk any type of daylight, if you give him any type of opportunity to gain confidence, he’s going to steamroll you.

“For the [potential Fury] knockout, I think we might see a bigger, heavier Fury. [In the Deontay Wilder rematch], Fury came in very heavy – he weighed on him, he mauled him and, you know, we could see that type of Tyson Fury for the second time.”

What impact will Tyson Fury’s weight have in the Oleksandr Usyk rematch?

Since returning to boxing after his iconic victory over Wladamir Klitschko – when he weighed a career-lightest of 247 lbs – it is fair to say that Fury’s weight has fluctuated a significant amount.

The 36-year-old weighed in at one of his heaviest for the Wilder rematch back in 2020, before destructively stopping the American in one of his most complete performances.

However, when weighing even heavier for the trilogy clash with Wilder and Francis Ngannou showdown, the ‘Gypsy King’ ultimately appeared to be somewhat sluggish, unable to utilize his movement to the same extent.

So now, one would assume that Fury must be especially careful to perform well on the scales before entering his eagerly-awaited rematch with Usyk.