Tyson Fury fires verbal tirade at Oleksandr Usyk as WBC champion promises 'fireworks' in undisputed bout

Security had to step in and pull apart Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk at the weigh-in ahead of their huge undisputed title bout.

The two heavyweight locked horns and exchanged verbal insults as the big countdown to the hugely anticipated clash between the duo heads into the final hours. It is a fight that is set to be the pinnacle of both fighters' boxing careers and tensions are running high. Both men are bidding to cement their legacy as the first unified world heavyweight champion in the four-belt era and the heat is rising outside of the ring before both go toe to toe inside it.

Fury didn't hold back in his post-weigh-in comments, declaring: "We're ready to rock and roll. Fireworks tomorrow night. I'm going to knock this little f***er spark out. I'm coming for his heart. F*** his belts. I'm coming for his f***ing heart. He's getting it tomorrow, spark out. F*** him and f*** all of his team too. F*** the lot of 'em. They can all get it if they want it."

He then left the stage abruptly, hurling the insult "s***houses" as he went. Usyk, on the other hand, remained composed amidst the fiery exchange. His message to Fury was calm and collected: “Don’t be afraid, I won’t leave you alone. This is my plan. If I was nervous, I wouldn't win."

At 35, WBC champion Fury weighed in at 18st 7lb, marking his lightest since battling Otto Wallin in 2019. Usyk, 37, the holder of the WBO, WBA, and IBF titles, came in nearly 30lb lighter at 16st 6lb. Both fighters boast undefeated records.

Lennox Lewis, the last undisputed heavyweight champion before the WBO was established, witnessed the weigh-in from the front row and shared his excitement: "Everyone's flying in and I'm excited about the fight. This is the pinnacle of boxing. This is what they've been boxing for their whole life so it's a very important fight in history. You can see from the outside Fury has lost a lot of weight, he's really thinned down. He's taken this fight very serious."

The historic bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will see around 2,500 British fans in attendance, along with A-list celebrities and boxing legends like Lewis and Holyfield. Fury is set to pocket a minimum of £81.5million regardless of the outcome. The event, named Ring of Fire, is expected to commence just after 11pm, with Fury's ring walk being a much-anticipated spectacle.

In previous fights, Fury has made grand entrances, including dressing as a Spartan warrior and Apollo Creed from Rocky 4. Moreover, the towering 6ft 9in boxer was memorably carried to the ring on a massive throne, donning a crown and robe, while Patsy Cline's hit 'Crazy' played during his third bout against Deontay Wilder four years ago.

Amir Khan, who will be taking a front-row seat at the event, shared his excitement: "This is what boxing needed. We see other sports like UFC moving up, but I think this is what boxing needed to show the world that boxing still is on top."

The odds are tight with Tyson Fury being slightly favoured by bookmakers at 5/6, while Oleksandr Usyk holds odds of 11/10. A draw is less likely, with odds standing at 12/1. When pressed for his thoughts on the outcome, the 37 year old Khan said: "I'm going to go for my home fighter, Tyson Fury. I believe that he's got the tools to win."

David Haye, another British boxing icon and former two-weight world champion, now aged 43 and also present in Riyadh, commented: "Fury, I think is going to have to do something significantly more than he's ever done before. I'm really hoping there's a decisive victor."