Ryan Garcia traveled to Saudi Arabia for this weekend’s undisputed heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. During a conversation with DAZN, Garcia discusses the shadowy cloud hanging over his victory over Devin Haney, his desire to fight Errol Spence again, and his predictions for a heavyweight fight. Check it out!

Garcia on how he feels about all the controversy surrounding his victory over Devin Haney

“I’m doing great. I’m elated. Justice will prevail, so I don’t worry about anything. God supports me.

“After May 22 there should of course be a result for the B sample, but I don’t think it will come out neat because obviously if they found it in A, why wouldn’t they find it in B? I think it’s all bullshit if we know it. I mean, no one takes steroids the day before and the day after a fight. You’d really have to be stupid.

On insisting on fighting Errol Spence

“I need this. I’m going to cut his head off… You know, Terence Crawford did a good job, but I’m going to finish the job as if he had no intention of boxing anymore after fighting me.

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to meet him as my coach.”

About his predictions for the Fury vs Usyk match

“It will be a 12-round decision, it will be a very close fight, but I think Fury is just too good and I love Fury. Fury has this energy, he looks great. Usyk, a hell of a fighter, but no. Fury is that man, I think he’s the greatest heavyweight of all time.

“I love Muhammad Ali, but I think Tyson Fury is the greatest heavyweight of all time. But shout out to Muhammad Ali.”

The history of the odds was as fascinating as the Tyson Fury vs. Aleksander Usyk. These two have been the numero uno and numero dos(ser) of the division for almost three years now, and with the order being chopped and rearranged in many people’s eyes, each fighter’s chances of winning have followed suit.

As recently as last December, Oleksandr Usyk was an 11/5 (+220) underdog, and the needle was moving to see him as a 20/23 (-115) favorite just six weeks later. Now the Ukrainian is balanced at Evens (+100), and Fury is a slight 4/5 (-125) favorite in Riyad.

So if the outcome of the fight is a coin toss, prop markets can certainly have some value and where better to start than with up and down action. Tyson Fury has been knocked down seven times in his career despite never losing a fight, and as the “Gypsy King” enters the latter stages of his career, his reflexes and ability to move the 36-minute distance have certainly suffered. 11/2 (+550) is the price for taking Fury down and winning the fight (something he’s already done on four separate occasions), and if you both want a powerful canvas, then 10/1 (+1000) is a pretty lofty sacrifice.

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The fury is certainly decreasing, but how steep is it? His second fight against Deontay Wilder in 2020 seems like it was a long time ago, and all we’ve seen since the start of 2022 are a couple of dud performances against Derek Chisora ​​and Francis Ngannou. But Usyk himself is not completely stripped of the rest of the ring. The difference is how Fury’s weight issues have taken a toll on his body throughout his career compared to Usyk, who has gradually worked his way up to heavyweight and now looks fit.

Fury’s awkward, spidery style is a nightmare for any heavyweight, and his 34-0-1 (24) record backs up that assessment, but if there’s one man who can crack that code, it’s the agile, well-trained Usyk. If Usyk manages to get inside Fury, those compact, keen combinations and uppercuts could very well start cutting down the tree and questioning the balance of a man who has been known to fall. With that in mind, Usyk’s stoppage win is a value pick out of four at a solid 5/1 (+500).

We know that Fury can be hurt and we know that Fury can be cut, but most of all we know what a talent Oleksandr Usyk is. Usyk will likely be the best fighter Fury has ever stepped into the ring with, and with a career filled with drama, it’s strenuous to imagine this fight going to zero.

The co-main event in Arabia will be the performance of the man who will probably be the next to enter the heavyweight discussion: Jai Opetai. Nearly two years after winning the IBF cruiserweight title from Mairis Briedis, the duo is set to dance again, and Briedis has been out of action ever since. At the beginning of 2025, Briedis will turn 40 and it is challenging to imagine how the Latvian will take revenge for who could be the current player with the highest ceiling.

Opetaia is 1/7 (-700) to win the fight, which is pretty much impossible to make up for, but that goes up significantly to 8/11 (-138) if you want Briedis to be stopped for the first time in his career. It wasn’t that long ago that Briedis was running after Jake Paul dressed as Mario and singing him birthday songs, so I think we could be forgiven for assuming that his whole heart wasn’t 100% focused on fighting – what better than a Saudi day paycheck that will send you into retirement? Briedis’ odds of regaining the title are 9/2 (+450) and it’s strenuous to justify the support with any belief.

Further down the bill we have the return of Sergei Kovalev as an 11/10 (+110) underdog against Robin Sirwan Safar, and like me the bookmakers threw a few darts at the wall here, trying to see what would work. Kovalev is a shadow of his dominant form and, most importantly, has had one fight since November 2019. Safar is a 4/6 (-150) favorite, but without experience in substantial fights it is impossible to judge his true level. That being said, a fit and vigorous cruiserweight ranked in the organization’s top 15 rankings should probably be able to beat Kovalev at 200 pounds.

Safar’s stoppage win in this 10-rounder is 6/4 (+150) and probably the best bet in a tiny, undeveloped field.

Elsewhere, Frank Sanchez and Agit Kabayel put their 24-0 records on the line to throw their hats onto the heavyweight title stage after Fury-Usyk. Sanchez is a 4/9 (-225) favorite here, but I don’t see this fight blowing up, so a 4/7 (-175) distance fight seems the most reasonable bet if needed. It just feels like that ugly heavyweight fight you see on the undercards that goes on and on with nothing of note actually happening.

Viva promotion announced today WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani will face mandatory challenger Vincent Astrolabio on July 20 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.

Nakatani (27-0, 20 KOs) won his third weight class last February, torching the tough-as-nails Alexandro Santiago to cement his place in the weight class at just 26 years senior. The Japanese bantamweight quadrumvirate of Nakatani, Takuma Inoue, Yoshiki Takei and Ryosuke Nishida are set for a few tantalizing unification bouts, but first he’ll have to fulfill his duty as champion.

Astrolabio (19-4, 14 KOs), seemingly fried after a 3-2 slump, immediately turned his career around after a loss to Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2022. He then parlayed that win into a Showtime appearance against Nikolai Potapov and took full advantage, stopping Potapov in six rounds to set up a vacant WBO title shot against Jason Moloney.

Although he struggled with Moloney’s boxing skills en route to a majority decision defeat, the WBC slotted him into another eliminator, where he demolished Nawaphon Kaikanha in hostile territory.

Astrolabio looks outclassed here, but he can give it his all, and Nakatani isn’t afraid to mix it up. We’ll keep you posted when the card is ready.