Joe Joyce says Oleksandr Usyk could defeat much bigger WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury with his superior punch output on February 17th in their undisputed championship fight at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Joyce feels that Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) will attempt to keep IBF, WBA & WBO champion Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) from coming forward with his long reach and jab. When Usyk does get close, Joe expects Fury to lean on him and maul to keep him from throwing.
The Size and Reach Advantage
“I was thinking Fury is bigger; he can lean on him and can make it messy in there and get the knockout that way,” said Joe Joyce to Fight Hub TV, talking about the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk undisputed championship on February 17th.
Fury’s habit of turning his fights into mauling affairs could betray him against Usyk because this is not the typical easy-to-grab type of opponent that he’s been facing in the last five years.
If Fury is counting on fighting Usyk the way he did Francis Ngannou, Dereck Chisora, and Dillian Whyte, he could be in trouble on February 17th because he’s facing a mover.
“He throws less punches than Usyk, but he’s got a longer reach, and has got a fast jab and stuff. Usyk is going to be closing the distance,” said Joyce about Fury.
The slow jabs that Fury throws won’t keep Usyk from getting in punching range to land. Fury, 35, is much slower than Anthony Joshua, and Usyk was able to close the distance repeatedly to land against the 6’6″ AJ in their two fights.
Usyk’s Relentless Offense
“He’s got very good ring IQ and lateral movement and stuff, and he throws a lot of punches. So he could outpoint Fury with the number of punches he throws unless he can do something to keep him from coming forward and make it awkward for him,” Joyce said.
“Usyk is a very intelligent fighter as well. He’s quick, throws a lot of punches and a good chin as well. Fury has got a good chin. Yeah, it’s a great fight. They’re both at the top of their game. I’m looking forward to it. I would say Fury,” said Joyce, predicting a victory for Fury.
