Whyte: "Tyson Fell From Weaker Shots. Usyk Took Them in Fights"

In an interview with iFL TV, British heavyweight (over 90,7 kg) Dillian Whyte (29-3, 19 KOs) shared his thoughts on the fight for the absolute heavyweight champion title between WBC titleholder Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) and WBO, WBA, IBO, and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs).

– The next drama in heavyweight is set for May 18 in the bout between Fury and Usyk. Who are you backing in this fight?

– It's a tough fight. Difficult to predict because you have Fury on one side and Usyk on the other. Usyk has movement, he has punching power. Usyk is a difficult fighter. He showed in fights that he's cool, he can take bruises. He proved he's really tougher than Tyson Fury. He's more resilient than Tyson Fury because Tyson Fury also went down from weaker shots. And Usyk took them in fights.

Fury has size and reach. He also has good speed and boxing abilities, but he's going against someone who has higher speed. And Usyk is more accurate than Fury. Tyson has size, awkwardness, and confidence. I don't know. I have no idea. It's not an easy fight for both of them.

I really don't know. I can't say this one will win, and that one will lose. Can't. I don't know. The closer the fight, the harder it is to pick a winner.

– So, your prediction – one of them wins?

– Of course, one of them wins. Actually, they could draw or both could get knocked out.

– After Anthony Joshua's victory over Francis Ngannou, Eddie Hearn claimed that Joshua is now the best heavyweight on the planet, which is a bit odd since there's still Fury and Usyk.

– No disrespect, but Eddie is Joshua's man. He's always said that. He will keep saying it. Eddie is Joshua's promoter, and he's doing a good job. But I don't think that statement is true because Usyk beat him twice in a row. Usyk is fighting Tyson Fury, and the winner of that fight will be the best heavyweight. If Joshua beats the winner, then he will be the best heavyweight. But he is not it now. I'm just telling it how it is.

– If Joshua fights Fury today, who would be the favorite?

– I don't know. Looking at Fury's last performance against Ngannou, it's hard to judge. What to take from that fight? He didn't train properly, underestimated him. Joshua had 10 rounds to beat Ngannou. I don't take anything from both fights. Joshua knocked out Ngannou in just two rounds, and Fury went 10 rounds with him, what can you take from that? Fury is not a big puncher; he's a boxer, a skilled, awkward boxer. And Joshua is a strong puncher. Fury won by decision, outboxing Ngannou, and Joshua knocked him out. That's what they were supposed to do. Realistically, the fights were supposed to end. Fury has been knocked down many times; why is everyone surprised Ngannou managed to do it? There's no surprise here.

Dillian last boxed in the fall of 2022 – winning by judges' decision against Jermaine Franklin. Later, Whyte was supposed to meet Anthony Joshua, but the fight fell through due to a positive doping test. In early 2024, Dillian was cleared. His next fight will be against Christian Hammer (27-10, 17 KOs) on March 17.