Usyk v Bellew Preview: Cruiserweight crown up for grabs
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Odds and preview ahead of the big fight
The much-anticipated fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tony Bellew is rapidly approaching, as the two men prepare to do battle in Manchester on Saturday night.
Usyk may the undisputed cruiserweight champion but you might fancy getting to know a bit more about the 6’2’’ Ukrainian here.
His WBO, WBC, WBA and IBF titles will all be on the line with Bellew looking to reclaim top-dog status.
As The Brit predicts ‘blood and pain’ in Manchester and you can catch all the action on Sky Sports Box Office from 6pm.
How have we got here?
This year Usyk became the first man to wear all of the cruiserweight straps at once since Evander Holyfield in 1988.
He has one eye on a fight with Anthony Joshua and sees this one as the perfect way of staking his claim for a heavyweight shot.
Bellew had to vacate his WBC belt in 2016 after stepping up in weight class to fight David Haye in a two-fight spectacular.
The Bomber has admitted this could well be the last fight of his career, whilst Usyk is already looking further ahead.
Their paths are aligning for one night and one night only, which is sure to raise the stakes even higher.
Oleksandr Usyk
Nicknamed ‘The Cat’, Usyk’s fast feet and exceptional upper body movement is hard to overcome.
Bellew has already said he’s one of the finest cruiserweights the division has seen. He can often draw you into a full sense of security and then pounce when Bellew gets more confident.
If this is an out and out boxing match, then Usyk should come through it.
But if it turns into a war, then this is where Bellew could come into his own.
Tony Bellew
The final chapter in Bellew’s career beckons. He needs to make this a real battle if he’s to get the better of Usyk.
But Bellew thrives off being the underdog and he will hope he can throw some punches early and unsettle his opponent.
His jab can be dangerous and he’ll have to must get in the face of the Ukrainian.
If he can thwart the dangerous southpaw then Bellew does have the power to cause an upset.
Match odds and Prediction
Bellew has said he must ensure the fight goes on past the fifth round.
He’s 4/1 for victory in the outright betting.
Many people believe Usyk will just have too much for the Bomber, Usyk to win on points is 7/4.
The Cat to win by Decision or Technical Decision is 7/4.
Bellew to knock Usyk down, but the Ukrainian to win is 5/1.
Click here for more Oleksandr Usyk v Tony Bellew odds
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
