- Tyson Fury shared his phenomenal body transformation on social media
- Fury’s S&C coach said he was in the best shape of his life before the cut
- The Gypsy King was ‘stronger and leaner’ than he had ever been before
Tyson Fury shared his phenomenal body transformation on social media after his undisputed title clash with Oleksandr Usyk was postponed.
The highly-anticipated bout had been scheduled to take place in Riyadh on February 17 but was postponed after Fury sustained an injury during camp.
The Gypsy King suffered a severe cut above his right eye on Friday while sparring, which has been labelled by his promotion team as a ‘freak cut’.
Fury and his team took to social media after the postponement was announced to say they were devastated given the work they had put in behind the scenes.
The Gypsy King’s S&C coach Kristian Blacklock said Fury was in the best shape of his life ahead of the Usyk fight – claiming he was ‘stronger and learner’ than ever before.
Meanwhile, Fury – who shared a picture of his slimmed down physique on Instagram – said Usyk would have been in ‘trouble’ fight the bout went ahead as planned.
Fury shared his body transformation online after the postponement was announced, posting a photo of himself standing in front of the mirror during his camp in Saudi Arabia.
The Gypsy King looked considerably leaner than when he fought against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in October 2023.
Fury – who told Mail Sport he would always be fat during an interview ahead of the Ngannou fight – could be seen with abs as he tensed in the mirror selfie.
Fury wrote the following caption alongside the picture posted on Friday: ‘I can’t help getting injured in sparring but what I can say was Usyk was in trouble.’
He went on to add: ‘I am in fantastic shape. I will reschedule soon as I can. 2024 a massive year for team GK.’
Fury’s S&C coach, Blacklock, replied: ‘As a team we had Tyson Fury in the best shape of his life as we quietly worked away, stronger, leaner but we will be ready when the fight is rearranged.’
The transformation shocked fans as Fury had stayed uncharacteristically quiet during camp, hiding his weight from his Ukrainian opponent.
Fury’s love handles have become a trademark in the boxing world, an emblem of his unique charisma. However, many criticised the Gypsy King for being out of shape for his fight with Ngannou.
Fury’s known for being elusive in the ring and his powerful punches deliver spectacular knockouts. But, he was unable to do so against the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Speaking about his weight ahead of that bout, Fury told Mail Sport: ‘It’s good to have a good body. I would love to have a good body. But, I don’t have any hope of having a good body.
‘I have been training for well over 20 years and I still haven’t got a good body. I’ve been in a training camp, living like a monk, for the past 12 weeks and I still don’t have a good body.
‘I didn’t have a good body when I was in my teens, so never mind clocking onto 40 years old. But, the one thing I’ve learnt is this isn’t a bodybuilding contest.
‘Although I don’t look a man who can do long distance or run for 20 miles, I am a man who can do that.
‘I think of myself as an old fashioned kind of guy who can go in there and have a fight, it doesn’t really matter what I look like. It’s about getting the victory.
‘If I had a 10 pack and I looked like Adonis – completely unbelievable and I wasn’t winning, it’s pointless. So I don’t really care about being fat.
‘I actually embrace being fat because my love handles separate me from the rest of the world, ever in history. There’s never been anyone like me and there never will be.
‘That’s what makes me so tough and that’s what makes me, me. If you said to me, “Right Tyson, we will give you the opportunity to get rid of the fat on you and we will give you a full six pack,” I wouldn’t take it because that’s not me.
‘I am fat now, I was fat as a baby and I will be fat on my death bed. We’re all fat. Hughie is fat, Shane’s fat, my dad’s fat and even my mum’s fat. I hope she’s not watching this. But, we’re a fat family.
‘He trains every day, my brother Hughie, like unbelievable. He’ll run, train, box. I am the same. Two-three times a day, in or out of camp but I’ve always been fat. Even when I got down to 17stone, like this, I still had love handles. It’s my trademark for sure.’
However, fans worried Fury would struggle against Usyk if he didn’t cut down in weight. The Ukrainian’s promoter Alex Krassyuk even said the Gypsy King’s weight would determine the quality of their fight.
It appears Fury took the comments on board, given he shed a significant amount of weight ahead the undisputed title fight, which was scheduled to take place on February 17.
Fury is adamant he will arrive at the new date, May 18, in the same shape.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
