Usyk an 'elite-level freak' and Fury must accept defeats, says Bellew

Tyson Fury needs to stop contesting the scorecards and acknowledge that Oleksandr Usyk beat him twice because the Ukrainian was the superior fighter, according to Tony Bellew.

Bellew, who lost to Usyk via eighth-round stoppage in their 2018 cruiserweight undisputed clash, told Sky Sports that Fury's refusal to credit the two-time undisputed champion stems from an inability to accept he faced someone better. "Just say it as it is. He was better than you," Bellew said, referencing Fury's claims he was robbed in their December rematch. "When you get beat by someone who's better than you just hold your hands up."

Bellew's own experience against Usyk

The former world champion described Usyk as "an elite-level freak" whose footwork and fight IQ broke down opponents in ways no other fighter could. Bellew was ahead on two of three cards through seven rounds in Manchester before Usyk adjusted mid-fight and stopped him in the eighth. "He'd downloaded everything I'd done and he used it against me in the end," Bellew recalled. "I'd never faced anyone who could do what he'd done to me. Everything he did from the footwork to the timing of the shots — he was the only guy just who was better than me."

Bellew credited referee Terry O'Connor with saving him from further damage after he rose at the count of six or seven but was still looking at the ceiling. "I'm asking to fight at eight. But I'm looking at the ceiling," he said. "Thankfully the referee saved my life, he stopped it."

Fury lost his undisputed heavyweight title to Usyk by split decision in May 2024, then dropped the rematch on the cards seven months later. He has since insisted he deserved the verdict in the second fight. Usyk next faces kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven in a crossover bout set for June.

Source: skysports.com