Tyson Fury shoved and taunted Oleksandr Usyk at Friday's weigh-in, sparking an explosive climax to the historic undisputed heavyweight showdown.
A shirtless Fury spotted the Ukrainian and angrily shoved him, sparking a brief scuffle on stage before hurling a series of F-bombs at his opponent.
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“I'm ready to rock 'n' roll, so tomorrow night is fireworks. I'm going to light this motherfucker's spark,” the 35-year-old Brit enthused, drawing cheers from the crowd.
“I've come for his heart, that's what I came for. Fuck his belt. I've come for his fucking heart, he'll give it tomorrow You'll get it, you'll get it. Fuck him, fuck all of his team. Fuck them, they can all have it if they want.”
Fury weighed in at 262 pounds (118.8 kilograms), more than 15 pounds lighter than his last appearance, while Usyk weighed in at 233.5 pounds, significantly heavier than his usual 221 pounds.
Asked what he told Fury, Ukraine's Usyk replied: “Don't be afraid, I won't leave you tomorrow.”
He said he was able to remain so calm because “that was my plan.” You can't win if you're nervous. ”
On Saturday, the two undefeated fighters will face off in the first undisputed heavyweight division since 1999, aiming to capture all four major belts.
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Earlier this week, Fury's father John was seen in Riyadh headbutting a member of Usyk's aide, blood pouring down his face from a gash on his forehead.
But both fighters remained silent during Thursday's final press conference, with Fury promising to pray for Usyk and the Ukrainian penning a poem.
Fury weighed in at 277.7 pounds for his fight against mixed martial arts convert Francis Ngannou in October, but appeared slow at the time and was knocked down before winning by split decision.
“The Gypsy King” won his biggest win to date, defeating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, weighing 247 pounds. His lowest career weight was 245.5 pounds, set by Vinny Maddalone in 2012.
Usyk, a former cruiserweight, has been surprisingly consistent throughout his heavyweight career, weighing in at 221 pounds against Anthony Joshua in 2021 and 2022 and 220 pounds against Daniel Dubois last year. .
