- Usyk was announced to have tipped the scales at a career-heaviest 233lbs
- A mistake had led to weight having been announced wrongly at the weigh in
- Tyson Fury will hold a 39lb weight advantage over his rival in Saudi Arabia
Oleksandr Usyk’s weight was incorrectly announced at the weigh-in ahead of his undisputed heavyweight title fight with Tyson Fury on Saturday.
The Ukrainian fighter was initially announced as having tipped the scales at a career heaviest 233lbs on Friday.
Usyk would have weighed in 12.6lbs heavier than his last fight against Daniel Dubois back in August 2023.
Ring announcer Michael Buffer had reportedly misheard the weight officials had said after Usyk had taken to the scales, leading to the wrong figure being announced.
Video footage of the weigh in on social media revealed the officials had actually announced that Usyk had weighed in at 223lbs.
Oleksandr Usyk was incorrectly announced to have weighed in at 233lb for Saturday’s fight
The Ukrainian had actually weighed in at 223lbs for his showdown against Tyson Fury
Promoter Eddie Hearn saw the funny side of Usyk’s weight being announced incorrectly
Usyk has still come in at the heaviest weight of his career, with the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO champion’s previous high being 221lb.
The 37-year-old had hit the figure on three occasions during his heavyweight career, twice beating Anthony Joshua at the weight, as well as his last fight will Dubois.
Promoter Eddie Hearn made light of the mistake on social media, noting that debate around Usyk’s weight gain for the fight had ultimately been pointless.
‘Glad we debated and analysed Usyk being 233lb for the last 5 hours only to find out it was actually read out at 223,’ Hearn wrote.
At Friday’s official weigh-in Fury tipped the scales at 262lbs, the lightest he has been since taking on Otto Wallin in Las Vegas back in 2019.
The Gypsy King will boast a significant 39lb weight advantage over his rival heading into Saturday night’s fight in Riyadh.
Following the weigh-ins the two fighters faced off on stage for the final time before they meet inside the ring.
After not looking at his opponent during a press conference earlier this week, Fury wasted little time in getting in Usyk’s face on Friday, squaring up to the Ukrainian before pushing him on the stage.
Fury and Usyk faced off for the final time at Friday’s weigh in ahead of their clash in the ring
Saturday’s showdown is set to crown the heavyweight division’s first undisputed king since Lennox Lewis bested Evander Holyfield over twelve rounds in November 1999 to claim all of the belts.
Speaking following the face-off, Fury launched into an expletive-laden tirade insisting that he is not motivated by the titles on the line.
‘I’m ready to rock and roll.’ Fury told TNT Sports.
‘Fireworks tomorrow night, I’m going to knock this little f***** spark out.
‘I’m coming for his heart. F*** his belt, I’m coming for his f***ing heart. F*** all his team too, f*** the lot of them. They can all get it, s***houses.’
