Tyson Fury, the current heavyweight champion, is set to face Oleksandr Usyk tonight in Saudi Arabia in what promises to be a historic fight. If Fury wins, he will become the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. This fight is the first of two planned meetings between Fury and Usyk, as they are contractually obligated to fight again in October regardless of tonight’s outcome.
Fury’s personal life has often been as headline-grabbing as his boxing career. The British fighter, who has been with his wife Paris since they were teenagers, once shockingly admitted to having slept with over 500 women. This revelation came before his first world title fight against Usyk’s countryman Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, when he spoke candidly to Boxing News Online about his past behavior.
“I’m a liar, a cheater, a proud, vain person. Everything that’s bad I do or have done. We all make mistakes, don’t we? The only thing I ever regret in life is having sex before marriage. If I could erase that then my life would be practically perfect. I regret all the filth that you do with people. I must have had sex with over 500 women, more, I don’t know, I’ve lost count,” Fury confessed. “It’s pure filth and horribleness. I look at that now as pure disgusting.”
Despite his controversial past, Fury has attempted to turn his life around. He expressed regret over his previous lifestyle and stated that he has given up drinking and other bad habits. “I’m not a religious person, but I like to help people and do good things. I’ve packed in the drinking and going out. I can get up now, go and take the kids somewhere on a Saturday morning rather than being in bed till 12 o’clock.”
Fury’s frankness about his sex life has often been part of his public persona. Before his fight against Deontay Wilder, he claimed to be preparing by masturbating seven times a day to boost his testosterone levels. However, for his trilogy fight against Derek Chisora, Fury adopted a different approach, following a sex ban similar to that of boxing legend Mike Tyson. “You know how I used to masturbate seven times a day to give me power? This time I’m celibate,” he said. “I’m celibate for five weeks so far and it will be seven weeks to the fight. I’m going along with a new method, trying something out. I’m going in there with a loaded gun. Somebody is getting in some severe trouble and I’m gonna be testosteroned out of my head completely!”
As Tyson Fury steps into the ring tonight against Oleksandr Usyk, his journey from a controversial figure with a troubled past to a disciplined champion will be on full display. The fight is highly anticipated not only for its historical significance but also for the personal transformations that have defined Fury’s career. Fans and critics alike will be watching to see if Fury can solidify his place in boxing history by becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion.