Days before the rivals ultimately squared off in the ring, Tyson Fury received a message from Oleksandr Usyk that left him perplexed.

To determine who will be the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999, Fury and Usyk will square off in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The two were originally scheduled to square off at Wembley in April of last year, but their fights in December and February were postponed.

However, Usyk made sure to inform Fury that he will see him in Riyadh when the opening bell does ultimately sound in ten days. “Hi there, buddy. Before the fight, he stated, “Don’t be afraid, I will not leave you alone,” in a documentary. After seeing the message, Fury questioned, “What does that even mean?”

On May 18, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will square off in a major fight that will see both fighters try to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999. With the two fighting for the coveted WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF titles, the stakes could not be higher.

But Fury has acknowledged that if he wants to stay unbeaten, he will have a difficult mission to complete later this month. He said to Queensberry Promotions, “Oleksandr Usyk is a real bad man, and to underestimate Usyk you’d be a mug.” I’m training hard and exerting all of my effort for him. Usyk has my respect as a man. I also admire his achievements as an Olympic champion, a unified heavyweight champion, and an undefeated cruiserweight champion.

You have to understand that I’m not going up against a guy who has faced 14 and prevailed in 11. I’m competing against the genuine thing, just like Holyfield. I’m excited to take on the challenge. He is a southpaw with good footwork, good boxing ability, and sound technical knowledge. He has defeated both Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, demonstrating his ability to compete with the top heavyweights. I’m tampering with a skilled combatant.

Saudi Arabia, Fury’s promoter, remains unwavering in his belief in Fury’s fighting mindset. He told talkSPORT, “I’m confident we are going to get a vintage performance; I spoke to him during the week.” “I believe he is in excellent shape, and even though he had that cut, it worked out well because he has had consecutive camps.

“I have never seen him look better physically. The concern was that he would peak too quickly, entering a training camp right away. He has put in a lot of practice to be at his best on May 18. I have a feeling that he will stop Usyk with a fantastic performance.”