Tyson Fury has said he will throw caution to the wind when he faces heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and will aim for a knockout victory in the rematch.

In their first fight in May, Fury gained momentum in the fourth round and showed off a display, catching Usyk with vicious body shots, but the Ukrainian responded and turned the fight around in the eighth round.

Usyk’s powerful punches to the head left Fury reeling, and the previously undefeated boxer fought through the final rounds of the fight before losing a split decision and relinquishing his WBC heavyweight title.

The rematch will take place on December 21 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, and the WBC, WBO and WBA titles will be at stake.

“I’m going to go in there in destruction mode. The last time I fought him in boxing, I was cautious. I shot him right in the head,” Fury told TNT Sports on Saturday.

“Let’s talk about the facts. Anyone can get caught, as we have seen in many heavyweight fights, but this time I will not go for a points decision.”

Fury added that he is still interested in fighting fellow Briton Anthony Joshua, despite the former champion’s knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in his IBF title fight last month.

Joshua and Fury were scheduled to face each other in the proposed Fight for Britain in 2022, but the fight ended in failure.

“At the end of the day, it would be a travesty if we didn’t fight,” Fury said.

“No matter if he loses 20 more fights. If he doesn’t win the next fight and has 10 years left to fight, it doesn’t matter, we have to fight.”

NICK Ball finally overcame resistance from WBA featherweight title challenger Ronny Rios at the Echo Arena in Liverpool. Rios’ main cornerman stepped onto the ring apron, waved a towel, and pulled his fighter out of harm’s way at 2-06 of round 10.

Ball ran out of the blocks, firing large shots with both hands. Taller and bigger, Rios tried to crouch and trade, but the difference in firepower was immediately apparent as Ronny went down on the ropes in the second round. Ball left that session with a bloody nose, so Rios must have hit on something noteworthy.

The beating continued into the third period when Rios hit the canvas following an attack by Ball. He stood up and nodded to referee Bob Williams that he was ready for more punishment. Ball responded with an attack that seemed to last the rest of the round.

Rios had the better fifth, landing left hooks to the body and peppering Ball’s gushing nostrils as the Liverpool man took a breather. Rios was trailing in round seven, but dropped the decision when Ball caught his second wind and began throwing uppercuts, switching several positions for good measure. Rios, who later dropped to 34-5 (17 KO), finally collapsed in the 10th round as he was dragged through the ropes and stretched out.

“To be straightforward, I think I got a little carried away by the audience; I took a few too many shots,” said Ball, who improved his record to 21-0-1 (12 KOs).

“He’s a tough man, he’s back and I respect him. My nose always falls off, it’s boxing and there will always be nosebleeds.

Ball holds one of the four belts, and names like Rey Vargas and Naoya Inoue were later mentioned. A reunion appears to be on the cards, as is the long-held dream of fighting at Anfield.

Match results Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios Undercard

Earlier in the evening, Jack Rafferty had lost most of the boxing match, but won the war, forcing Henry Turner to retire after the ninth round. Southpaw Turner was boxing well until he endured a heated ninth round of abuse that ultimately saw him fall to the canvas and finish the count with blood spilling from his nose. Between rounds, with Turner’s head spinning in despair, Alan Smith alerted referee Ron Kearney that the fight had to end.

Jack Turner knocked out Gonzalo Corinaldesi in the first round of a scheduled six-round match. Cuban talent Jadier Herrera needed a few rounds to loosen up before a left hand to the body of Oliver Flores knocked the Nicaraguan off balance.

Andrew Cain crushed Lazaro Casseres in the second round. Joe Cooper started the televised part of the gala with a powerful points victory over Łukasz Barabasz. Walter Fury outpointed Dale Arrowsmith in four rounds.

Previous winners included James McGivern, Lucas Biswana, Nelson Birchall, Brad Strand and Boma Brown.