Bob Arum talks why Tyson Fury is better prepared against Oleksandr Usyk than Francis Ngannou

Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk Press Conference
Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk Press Conference

Bob Arum has confidence ahead of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk.

'The Gypsy King' and 'The Cat' are currently slated to face off on February 17th in Saudi Arabia. For Fury, the bout is coming shortly after his high-profile fight with Francis Ngannou in October. Before his bout with 'The Predator', the Brit signed to face Usyk in December.

However, that fight was later moved due to the success of the MMA fighter. In his boxing debut last month, Ngannou knocked down, cut, and nearly defeated Fury. While the Brit escaped with a split-decision win, it was a rough night for the boxer.

Ahead of Tyson Fury's next fight, his promoter, Bob Arum, has high confidence despite Francis Ngannou's success. The head of Top Rank explained why in a recent interview with Sky Sports.

There, Arum explained that Fury and his team have a lot of films of the Ukrainian. That wasn't the case for Ngannou, leading to the promoter having a lot of confidence. In the interview, Arum opined:

"Going in with Ngannou, who showed himself to be very talented, nobody had a book on him because he never had a prize fight. Fighting Usyk is totally different because they have reams and reams of film on Usyk. I think Tyson will be a lot better prepared against Usyk than he was against Ngannou. I have great confidence in Tyson Fury. He's a great competitor and he'll be at his best against Usyk."

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk: Who is expected to win?

Tyson Fury's Saudi Arabia return currently has him as a slight favorite.

While 'The Gypsy King' has had a rough last month, he will still likely enter his bout with 'The Cat' as a slight favorite. For his part, Usyk is coming off a knockout win over Daniel Dubois, which was also maligned in controversy.

While many believe that Tyson Fury deserved a loss against Francis Ngannou, that doesn't mean that he won't beat Oleksandr Usyk. As Bob Arum rightfully pointed out, there's a massive difference between the two matchups.

With that in mind, that's likely why fans are still riding with the British boxer. The current betting line from DraftKings sees Fury as a -180 favorite. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian is sitting as a slight +140 underdog for the heavyweight title clash.

The fight will be a historic one as well. The winner of Fury vs. Usyk will become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, who accomplished the feat over two decades ago.

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