World-renowned boxer and Manchester United fan Tyson Fury will fight Oleksandr Usyk for the unified heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
It’s a fight that involves the two best heavyweights on the planet, so excitement is building ahead of the rematch.
In May, Usyk outpointed Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis 25 years ago. It’s a title he is looking to defend that title this weekend.
Fury, 36, insists the judges robbed him on that night and he’ll be aiming for a different outcome this time around.
Before that fight, Harry Maguire and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were supportive of Fury, which is another example of his strong connection to Manchester United.
Both boxers have a keen interest in football, with Fury’s love for United well-documented over the years.
Usyk’s love for football is less known, but he has more of a history with the sport than most would imagine. They would’ve both enjoyed United’s 2-1 win over Manchester City on Sunday.
Oleksandr Usyk would love to play for Manchester United
Although Fury will be looking to beat Usyk on Saturday night, there is one common place between the heavyweight pair. They’re both fans of the Manchester United first-team.
Fury, who carried the WBC title after beating Deontay Wilder in 2020, has been welcomed on the Old Trafford turf in the past as a passionate fan and sporting hero.
However, Usyk has revealed in an interview with Sky Sports that United are the one Premier League club he would love to play for.
“If I had a choice, I’d play for Manchester United,” Usyk said.
When reminded that Fury is a Red, Usyk added: “Yeah, of course. The same.”
Their love for United is unlikely to get in the way of Saturday’s eagerly awaited bout.
Usyk played professional football in Ukraine
Usyk made an appearance for Ukrainian second-division side FC Polissya Zhytomyr against NK Veres Rivne in 2022.
Polissya were playing in a Winter friendly and Usyk made a surprise appearance in the 76th minute.
Usyk was spotted on the touchline shadowboxing before entering the pitch and missing a sitter in his first few seconds.
Judging by Usyk’s short cameo in Ukrainian football, he shouldn’t waste any time expecting a call from Ruben Amorim. Not unless United’s head coach wants to frighten his squad into raising standards.
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