"I Was Afraid of Him": Fury Explains Why He Didn’t Look Usyk in the Eyes Before Their First Fight

Former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) reflected on an incident before his first fight with WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBO titleholder Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs), when Fury avoided eye contact during their staredown.

"I was afraid of him. That’s why I didn’t look at him," Fury admitted.

Usyk, however, did not interpret Fury’s behavior as disrespect.

"Listen, I respect him, and I know Tyson respects me. It’s just a part of the show," Usyk remarked.

To recap, in their first encounter in May, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury via split decision, becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 25 years. The rematch is scheduled for December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.