Saturday, December 21 - around 23 p.m. our time.
When the sound of the gong breaks the silence of anticipation, and the roar of 27 thousand sports fans breaks through the Royal Arena in Riyadh, the second fight will begin - one of the biggest in the history of boxing, between two great champions Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
Half a year ago, two titans met in a match for the title of the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, the whole world was waiting for the outcome and the declaration of the best, and Usik ascended to the throne by the decision of the judges, after a spectacular 12 rounds.
It was clear even then that a rematch was inevitable, and the agreement fell through perhaps unexpectedly quickly, and it shows how much both of them enjoyed themselves while fighting for history.
- There was a big fight in May, it was talked about for a long time, but that is in the past. This is a new story, I need to be more focused and smarter. Every other match I had against the same rival ended the same way - I knocked out the opponent. I want it to happen now. I trained well and hard, I ate properly, I went to bed early and got up early, I did everything I needed to do, I listened to the people around me - everything else is in God's hands - said Tyson Fury.
And while the Briton has a motive for a rematch, Oleksandar Usik, who by moving from the cruiserweight to the royal category like a storm continued to dominate world boxing, wants to keep the belts. Unlike Fury, the Ukrainian didn't say much even before the rematch.
- What is my motive? I don't have it. I have my regime, I have my way of preparation, I like fights. Those are my motives. Enough - said Usik.
With the battle of two giants, Saudi Arabia continues to position itself as currently the most attractive destination for glamorous sports events, within the action called Riyadh Season.
A lot of money is in circulation this time as well, and as reported by the world media, the boxers will share a fixed prize of 190 million dollars. Of that, 60 percent will go to Usik, as the winner of the first match - about 114 million, while Fury will collect 76 million.
The promoters are looking forward to a successful job in organizing this spectacle...
- We have two great fighters in the ring, it can't get any better than this. The first match was magnificent, that is the quality of boxing that only the greatest can show. Now they know each other even better, respect each other and want to win. It is a spectacular announcement, I believe that this match will be talked about for years and decades. And of course, I believe in Tyson, I know what he's worth, I've known that since the first day when our paths crossed and I'm sure that this fight can be his - said Frank Warren, Tyson Fury's promoter.
- Everything that happened in May is not valid. This is the present, and we are all creating the future today. We are very lucky to see the two greatest champions, the two greatest athletes in the world, not once in the ring, but twice. It's unique, it's a phenomenon, simply - watching the Usyk vs. Fury match twice is a sports miracle - added Alex Krasyuk, Oleksandr Usyk's promoter.
Unlike the first match, the rematch is not for the title of undisputed heavyweight champion, but for the belts in the WBC, WBA and WBO federations. The IBF took away the belt from Usika, because he did not defend it within the stipulated time, so Daniel Dubois became the champion in that federation.
If Usyk surpasses Fury for the second time, Dubois is likely to be his next rival, if the Ukrainian even retains the motivation to fight against someone whom he easily defeated in the cruiserweight division.
But, if Fury rematches, then 2025 could also bring a trilogy - the third match to decide who really is the best.
Revolution - the match will be scored by artificial intelligence
The boxing match between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will bring a revolution to Saudi Arabia - namely, the match will be scored by artificial intelligence for the first time in history.
This was revealed in an announcement by Saudi promoter Turki Alalshik, a man of great confidence of Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a leading figure in Saudi sports.
Artificial intelligence will eliminate the possibility of human error.
However, despite the great help to the judges, the computer will not affect the official results of the fight, so as before, the question about the winner will be decided by three judges who will announce their decision after 12 rounds, if there is no interruption.
Bonus video:
