Oleksandr Usyk is an ‘elite-level freak’ and Tyson Fury must come to terms with that loss, says Tony Bellew | Boxing news

Tyson Fury has to accept that “elite-level freak” Oleksandr Usyk was better than him, says former world champion Tony Bellew.

Bellew, who enjoyed success at heavyweight and was a cruiserweight world champion, fought Usyk himself.

The great Ukrainian stopped Bellew in the eighth round of their 2018 fight as the Liverpudlian moves back up to cruiserweight for an undisputed title fight with Usyk in Manchester.

In 2024, Fury lost his Undisputed Heavyweight title fight with Usyk and was also defeated in their rematch.

But Fury later insisted he deserved the decision, certainly in their second fight.

Dr. spoke at the opening ceremony Fight your corner podcast, Bellew advised: “Tell it like it is. He was better than you. Tyson Fury spent 12 months demeaning him and dehumanizing and insulting him.

“Then when he beats him it’s like ‘I’ve been robbed’. No ‘he’s amazing, I didn’t think he was that good’, no credit to him, which I don’t like. Just hold your hand when you get beat by someone better than you.

“It kills him. What breaks his heart the most is that he’s met someone who’s better than him. But he’s not the only one and he has to accept that.”

Bellew as well as anyone knows how Usyk can push his opponents to their limits. “He’s an elite-level freak and rightfully so,” said the former champion Sky Sports.

“Olexander Usyk was the only guy I came up against and my game plan was going perfect. Everything was perfect. At the end of round seven I was up two cards and I was drawing the third card but I didn’t know where I was at the start of round eight. He wore me down.

“He’s the best fighter I’ve ever faced. His footwork was on another level. He downloaded everything I did and used it against me at the end. He’s exceptional. I’ve never faced anyone who could do what he did to me.

“I’ve never encountered anybody (before) where I felt I was inferior to them. He was the only person I couldn’t (out). He was the only person who was.” well Better way to say it than me.

“Everything he did, from the footwork to the timing of the shots. He understood what I was doing to beat him in round-eight. It took a lot out of me to be ahead at that stage and I had nothing left.”

The conclusion to his fight with Usyk could be devastating, Bellow thinks.

“I’m on my back, flat down, I get up (to the count of) six or seven. I’m saying to fight at eight. But I’m looking at the ceiling. But I want to keep fighting,” he recalled.

“Thankfully the referee saved my life, he stopped it.

“There’s a referee to save you.”

Watch Chris Bilam-Smith vs Ryan Rosicky live Sky Sports June 6.