Golub: "The Main Thing Is That Fury Actually Shows Up for the Fight"

In an interview with vRINGe, the coach of Ukrainian lightweight (up to 61,2 kg) contender Denys Berinchyk (18-0, 9 KOs) and Ready To Fight ambassador Iegor Golub commented on the upcoming fight for the title of the undisputed heavyweight champion (over 90,7 kg) between the holder of the WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO titles, Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs), and WBC champion Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs).

– The mega-fight Fury vs. Usyk. Oleksandr is at a significant anthropometric disadvantage. He will have to close the distance. Firstly, he needs to bypass the opponent's solid jab. Secondly, avoid getting caught in a clinch. How to do that?

– Oleksandr has an excellent coach. It's also Denys's and my coach - Yuriy Ivanovych Tkachenko. They are working on it. We've met with them.

I think everything will be fine. I believe Alexander will dismantle him piece by piece. The main thing is that Fury actually shows up for the fight.

– You doubt it?

– When I spoke with Oleksandr, he told me he would only believe the fight is happening when they both show up in the ring without shirts, with no one else there but them and the referee. And when the gong sounds.

How can you trust this self-proclaimed king?

– Your prediction for the fight?

– Predictions are a thankless task. I believe in Oleksandr's victory. I won't say it will be easy. It was the same talk before the first fight with Joshua.

I explained back then. I said, 'This is boxing, not the Mr. Olympia tournament. It's not a competition about who has more muscles.' I told them Usyk would take Joshua to school. And in the first fight, he did just that – took him apart.

Oleksandr is an incredible athlete. An athlete with a huge fighting IQ. With a great school. With a strong and powerful punch, no matter what anyone says. So, I believe everything will be fine.

We'll be watching. Especially since this fight will happen just a few hours before our fight. I think May 18th will be a huge celebration for Ukraine. We want to make (in the positive sense of the word) a sleepless night.

Oleksandr will fight in the evening, and Denys on the morning of May 19th, Kyiv time.

– So, you could say that May will be a festival of Ukrainian boxing.

– Yes. Three fights. Three title fights. One for the absolute and two for titles in the lightweight division. For Ukraine, this is very cool. God willing, we will take the victories.

The fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury is scheduled for May 18th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Denys Berinchyk and Emanuel Navarrete (38-1-1, 31 KOs) will meet on the night of May 19th in San Diego, USA. The WBO lightweight title will be at stake.