Tyson Fury sends surprising final message to Oleksandr Usyk before refusing to look at him during press conference

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After refusing to look at his opponent during this evening's pre-fight press conference, Tyson Fury had some rather surprising words for Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury and Usyk will meet in Riyadh on Saturday (18 May) after the original 17 February date for their undisputed world heavyweight clash had to be abandoned when the British WBC champion was hurt in training.

Fury was injured in training after sustaining a cut to his eye, with a statement at the time reading: "The cut, which opened above Fury's right eye, required urgent medical attention and significant stitching, and will obviously require a period of recovery, scuppering any possibility of the fight with Usyk taking place on 17 February in Saudi Arabia."

Now that fight night is almost upon us, Fury faced off against his opponent this evening and after refusing to even look at him during their face-off, the Gypsy King had a surprising choice of words for his Ukrainian opponent. Take a listen:

This final message from Tyson Fury to Oleksandr Usyk ❤️ pic.twitter.com/cJbuLdWaY3

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) May 16, 2024

Fury stated: "God Bless him. And I'll say a prayer for him before we walk out that we'll both come out the ring in one piece and go home to our families, cause that's what it's all about."

His surprising kind words brought on a round of applause from Usyk, his team and the crowd at the pre-fight press conference.

The 35-year-old is thought to have said this in the wake of the death of British boxer Sherif Lawal, who was pronounced dead after his professional boxing match at Harrow Leisure Centre.

The face-off between Fury and Usyk has been long-awaited, with both fighters undefeated in their careers, though Usyk made the jump from cruiserweight a few years ago, and has continued to maintain his flawless record in the ring.

Fans were not impressed with the fact that Fury didn't want to face-off against Usyk though, instead looking straight ahead at the crowd.

One user posted on X: "Tyson Fury the man who has enough to say is too rattled to even speak to his foe."

A second said: "Fury was looking but for his way out of there bud".

A third put: "Do people not think Fury carefully planned to do this prior?"

Though the Wythenshawe-born fighter later jokingly explained himself, saying: "He’s a scary looking dude."

How to watch Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk

The PPV (pay-per-view) fight will be streaming on Dazn for £24.99.

It will also be available on the Dazn app in over 200 countries, across the world. So, if you happen to be away on holiday or travelling that evening, you’ll still be able to catch the highly anticipated bout, with prices varying depending on the location.

Another option is Sky Sports, where the PPV (pay-per-view) will cost £24.95. You can either watch it through Sky or on NOW.

And last but not least is via TNT Sports. And thankfully, you don’t need a TNT Sports subscription to tune in. It will cost £24.99 and it can be accessed through Discovery+, BT, EE, Sky and Virgin Media.

How do I use the Dazn app?

You can access the Dazn app on a number of different devices and platforms. From Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire sticks, Roku and a variety of smart TVs, you can also access it on Android phones and tablets, iPhones, iPads and gaming devices such as the Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

You can also tune in via a web browser via DAZN.com.

What time is the match taking place?

Here in the UK, the ringwalks for Fury vs. Usyk are scheduled for 11:05pm. But these timings could be subject to change, so you’ll want to keep an eye on the app to make sure you don’t miss any of the action.

Afterwards, it will be clear who the number one fighter in the heavyweight division is. And not only that, the eventual result will determine who will also become the first heavyweight boxer to become an undisputed champion in the four belt era.

You can stream the Fury vs Usyk fight via Dazn here.