Former opponent shares why Tyson Fury needs to be "very, very careful" against Oleksandr Usyk, predicts outcome of the rematch

Tyson Fury's rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on Dec. 21 in Saudi Arabia could result in a stunning defeat for the British heavyweight, according to a former opponent. Dillian Whyte, who faced Fury in 2018, believes Usyk's increasing strength and tactical prowess make him a significant threat.

Usyk delivered Fury's first career defeat during their previous meeting in May, and Whyte warned that the Ukrainian could stop him this time. Speaking with Sky Sports, he stated:

"In heavyweight boxing, you're always one punch away, He caught him pretty good. In some places in the world, they would have stopped that fight. But because of Fury's nature and the fact he shows that he gets up and he can keep going, that's why they didn't stop it. But I think Usyk can stop him. Either man [can stop each other]...Fury needs to be very careful in the rematch, very, very careful."

Despite Fury’s proven ability to bounce back in rematches, such as his victories over Deontay Wilder and John McDermott, Whyte insists Fury must adopt a more aggressive approach:

"For him to beat Usyk, I think he needs to use his size. He has to be more aggressive and he needs to push the fight. He can't stay on the back foot because Usyk is a tactical genius.He put a lot of pressure on Fury on the front foot, which we had never seen him do before, so Tyson needs to smother him and fight him like he fought Steve Cunningham. I think he needs to apply those sort of tactics."

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Lennox Lewis backs Tyson Fury to win rematch against Oleksandr Usyk

Lennox Lewis believes Tyson Fury will have to make significant changes to defeat Oleksandr Usyk in their upcoming heavyweight rematch. Lewis, a former undisputed heavyweight champion, believes Fury can win if he learns from his first fight with Usyk.

Speaking on the 5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce podcast, Lewis emphasized that Fury must do more in the ring, especially in terms of aggression and strategy:

"I think Fury learnt what he needs to do next time because he didn't do enough. He needs to do a lot more. I like him a bit heavier for his fights and not moving around as much. He has to conquer his own self first. He's been through these things before so I think he can do it because he knows what to do." [H/t: BBC]