Tyson Fury change says it all after Oleksandr Usyk’s reaction to body transformation

Tyson Fury has bulked up for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk after the Ukrainian admitted he was surprised at how skinny he looked before beating him in their first fight.

The pair squared off at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia on May 18, with all heavyweight boxing division titles at stake – Fury's WBC title was up against Usyk's WBA (Super), WBO, IBF, and IBO belts. In a closely fought battle over 12 rounds, Usyk edged out Fury with a split decision victory to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

Since then, Fury has been reflecting on his loss, which saw him relinquish his belt and his unbeaten record in professional boxing. Notably slimmer in a waistcoat before their spring fight, Fury's size change did not go unnoticed, reports the Mirror US.

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Speaking to DAZN at the time, Usyk remarked: "Yeah, a little bit, a little bit, like, skinny," while his promoter, Alex Krassyuk, speculated that Fury's reduced bulk was due to nerves, saying: "That's because he's nervous. When you get nervous, you lose weight."

Fury responded to the comments with his typical blend of sarcasm, saying: "I'm very nervous, Usyk. Please don't beat me up on Saturday night. Please. Extra, please."

In a later interview, Fury discussed his weight, revealing: "About 19 stone. I'm around 19 stone. I'm in good shape, I've had two or three camps back-to-back."

Addressing concerns about his weight, Fury added: "People are saying to me all the time 'you're looking skinny,' well I weighed exactly the same on the scales I've been using