Tyson Fury was completely perplexed by Oleksandr Usyk's pre-fight speech.

Days before the rivals ultimately squared off in the ring, Oleksandr Usyk sent Jason Fury a message that left him perplexed.

To determine who will become the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999, Fury and Usyk will square off in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The two were originally scheduled to square off at Wembley in April of last year, but their fights in December and February were postponed.

However, Usyk made sure to inform Fury that he would see him in Riyadh when the opening bell ultimately sounded in ten days. "Hi there, buddy. Before the fight, he stated, "Don't be afraid, I will not leave you alone," in a documentary. After seeing the message, Fury enquired, "What does that even mean? Don't worry, I won't abandon you."

But Fury has acknowledged that if he wants to stay unbeaten, he will have a difficult mission to complete later this month. He said to Queensberry Promotions, "Oleksandr Usyk is a real bad man and to underestimate Usyk you'd be a mug." I'm training hard and exerting all of my effort for him. Usyk has my respect as a man. Usyk has my respect as a man. I also admire his achievements as an Olympic champion, a unified heavyweight champion, and an undefeated cruiserweight champion.

You have to understand that I'm not going up against a guy who has faced 14 and prevailed in 11. I'm competing against the genuine thing, just like Holyfield. I'm excited to take on the challenge. He is a southpaw with what is considered to be good footwork, good boxing skills, and sound technical technique. Having defeated Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua, he has demonstrated his ability to compete with the top heavyweights. I'm tampering with a skilled combatant.
 

Frank Warren, Fury's promoter, remains unwavering in his belief in Fury's fighting mindset. He told talkSPORT, "I'm confident we are going to get a vintage performance. I spoke to him during the week." "I believe he is in excellent shape, and even though he had that cut, it worked out well because he has had consecutive camps.

"I have never seen him look better physically. The concern was that he would peak too quickly entering a training camp right away. He has put in a lot of practice to be at his best on May 18. I have a feeling that he will stop Usyk with a fantastic performance."