Tyson Fury has ramped up his training just weeks before facing Oleksandr Usyk in an eagerly anticipated rematch on December 21.
‘The Gypsy King’ was forced to suffer his first professional defeat back in May, losing a fiercely contested split decision despite showing tremendous resolve to overcome a ninth-round standing count.
And so it was Oleksandr Usyk, of course, who ultimately emerged from their compelling battle victorious, becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
But now, the formidable Ukrainian must, at the very least, produce an equally convincing performance when he returns to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the end of this year.
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Tyson Fury has been sparring with Kevin Lerena and Zhan Kossobutskiy
During last month’s press conference, Tyson Fury’s assistant trainer, former world middleweight champion Andy Lee, insisted that their approach to this training camp will be different.
More specifically, Lee highlighted the fact that, ahead of his first encounter against Usyk, Fury’s sparring was drastically reduced.
This was because the 36-year-old had sustained a cut above his right eye earlier this year, delaying his heavyweight clash by several months.
But now, it appears that the Brit is back to sharpening his tools in the ring, taking on the likes of Kevin Lerena and Zhan Kossobutskiy in sparring.
The two southpaws, after all, have similar body dimensions to Usyk, but may struggle to replicate the 37-year-old’s dynamic style.
Nevertheless, Fury can only benefit from his southpaw sparring which, especially in the higher divisions, is not always easy to come by.
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Why is Zhan Kossobutskiy a controversial addition to Tyson Fury’s camp?
As an amateur, Kossobutskiy defeated the likes of Frazer Clarke and Guido Vianello, before turning professional with a heavy weight of expectation upon his shoulders.
Sure enough, the hard-hitting Kazakh amassed 19 victories – 18 via stoppage – prior to facing heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba last year.
Against Ajagba, though, Kossobutskiy was eventually disqualified after aiming the majority of his punches below his opponent’s belt.
And so, with the 36-year-old seemingly lacking a degree of discipline at the top level, Fury will need to ensure that his groin guard is kept firmly tightened.