- Tyson Fury has a perfect record in rematches during his professional career
- He is set to face Oleksandr Usyk for the second time in Saudi Arabia on Saturday
- Fury was beaten by Usyk on points in May, and is looking to exact revenge
For the very first time in his career Tyson Fury is set to enter the ring on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia with a loss on his record.
His defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in May was a devastating blow as he fell short in his bid to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, but he will get the chance to exact immediate revenge.
And the Gypsy King is no stranger to rematches. In fact, he thrives in them.
Usyk will be the fourth professional opponent that Fury has faced more than once, and the previous three have all tried and failed to get the better of the giant Brit.
Can Fury lean on his rematch experience to topple Usyk and re-establish himself as the premier heavyweight on the planet?
Mail Sport has taken a look back at his past rematches, and why Fury has every right to believe he can get his hand raised this time around.
Tyson Fury suffered his first professional loss against Oleksandr Usyk in their May showdown
Fury will get his chance to exact revenge when he faces Usyk in Saudi Arabia on Saturday
John McDermott
Let’s go all the way back to 2009, when Fury fought for the English title against John McDermott.
Fury was less than a year into his professional career, and had won his first seven bouts inside the distance. McDermott wasn’t expected to hear the final bell either.
But he went toe-to-toe with Fury over 10 rounds, and many observers felt he did enough to pull off the upset win.
However, it was Fury who got the nod, much to McDermott’s disgust. The controversial decision left a sour taste in the mouth, and McDermott immediately called for a rematch.
Nine months later, he got his wish. But the second fight was very different.
Fury dominated from the outset and gradually wore down his opponent. The finish came in the ninth round as Fury silenced his critics by proving beyond doubt that he was the better man.
John McDermott (left) was furious when Fury was given the decision in their first fight
Fury learned his lessons from the first fight and dominated the rematch with McDermott
Derek Chisora
After dealing with McDermott, Fury was chucked into a British and Commonwealth title fight with Derek Chisora in July 2011.
Both men were unbeaten at the time, and it was difficult to pick a winner as they entered the ring at Wembley Arena.
As the smaller man, Chisora looked to get up close and bully Fury on the inside, but it was Fury who kept his fellow Brit at bay by picking him off at distance.
It was a competitive contest with Chisora enjoying some success, but Fury deservedly walked away with a unanimous decision victory.
In November 2014, they did it all again. Once more, Chisora went into the clash in good form having won five straight fights.
He looked to be riding the crest of a wave and was tipped by some to gain revenge against Fury.
Fury beat a then-undefeated Derek Chisora when they fought at Wembley Arena in July 2011
He made the rematch look even easier as he delivered a one-sided beating three years later
Instead, Fury delivered a dazzling display as he befuddled Chisora by almost exclusively boxing out of the southpaw stance.
Chisora simply could not get going, while Fury handed out a one-sided beating until the end mercifully came in the 10th round.
It was a performance that showed Fury’s versatility as he fought in a completely different manner to their first bout and picked up an even more convincing win.
There should never really have been a trilogy fight between the duo, but we got one anyway in December 2022.
On this occasion, no one expected Chisora to cause any problems, and he didn’t.
Fury was simply far better and fresher, as he claimed another 10th-round stoppage win. That night didn’t tell us much about Fury, but his second fight with Chisora – which came just year before he toppled the great Wladimir Klitschko – highlighted what a special, well-rounded fighter he is.
The unexpected trilogy bout saw Fury dominate from the opening bell two years ago in 2022
Fury and Chisora are now friends after the heavyweights shared the ring on three occasions
Deontay Wilder
A trilogy that will live long in the memory.
Fury took the ultimate gamble by challenging Deontay Wilder for his WBC heavyweight title in December 2018 just months after returning from a three-year layoff.
He boxed off the backfoot, dodging Wilder’s destructive punches to move into the lead on the scorecards, but was sent to canvas in the ninth round after finally getting caught.
Fury got back up, and heading into the final round he was just three minutes away from regaining the heavyweight throne. It was never going to be that easy, though.
A right hand-left hook combination put Fury on his back and the dream looked to be over. Miraculously, Fury got back to his feet and actually finished the fight the stronger of the two.
It seemed he had still done enough to win, but the fight was controversially scored a draw. The rematch had to happen.
In February 2020, it did. The general consensus was that Fury didn’t need to change much from their initial meeting, having won the majority of the rounds. He saw things differently.
Fury was knocked down twice in his first fight with Deontay Wilder but got back up to draw
Fury was more aggressive in the rematch and picked up a dominant victory in February 2020
As soon as the opening bell rang, Fury took the centre of the ring and pushed Wilder back. The heavy-handed American appeared to be caught off-guard and had no answer to Fury’s aggressive tactics.
Fury knocked Wilder down twice before the fight was waved off in the seventh round to end the comprehensive beating.
That was expected to be the end of the rivalry, but Wilder exercised his rematch clause and the third fight was set for October 2021. It turned out to be the best of the lot.
Fury went on the attack again and scored a knockdown in the third round, but he walked onto Wilder’s big right hand the following round and had to pick himself up from the canvas twice.
On a night that was all about heart and determination, Fury bit down on his gumshield to weather the storm.
Slowly but surely he turned the tide in his favour and knocked Wilder down again in the 10th round before he put a full stop on the trilogy by leaving the American sprawled on the floor following a massive right hook in the 11th.
Wilder was left sprawling on the canvas after a huge right hand in his third fight with Fury
Can Fury win his rematch with Usyk?
With all due respect to Fury’s previous three rematches, Usyk is a different kettle of fish altogether.
The Ukrainian is widely seen as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and with good reason.
Having cleaned up the cruiserweight division, he has now done exactly the same at heavyweight. But nobody is invincible, and Fury did have some success in their first fight.
Uppercuts and body shots caused issues for Usyk, and Fury will likely look to use those to good effect again.
But it was Usyk who showed his adaptability in May, and that proved the difference. He went through the gears in the second half of the fight, repeatedly hurt Fury, and got the victory.
Fury had some success with his uppercut against the Ukrainian superstar in their first fight
The Gypsy King needs to cut out the showboating and adapt to come out victorious this time
Fury needs to switch things up on Saturday night, but he has shown in the past that he can.
His skill and class got him past McDermott and Chisora, while he had to show strength, power and guts to see off Wilder.
All of these qualities may be needed to beat Usyk, and at 36, there may be some doubts as to whether Fury can wind back the clock one last time.
Fury has pulled off shocks before, though, when the odds have been heavily stacked against him. And, given his impeccable rematch record, it would be foolish to write him off.