The face-off between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk set a new record, according to reports.
Fury, 36, and Usyk, 37, faced off after Thursday’s final press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
However, they unexpectedly locked eyes for around 11 minutes, which is a new record time, according to Happy Punch.
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The heavyweights would not take their eyes off of each other before eventually exchanging words - with Fury looking to be the aggressor.
During Sky Sports' live stream of the event, a commentator attempted to lipread Fury and explained how he thought the Englishman was saying: "You're getting annihilate."
Fury cut a focused figure for the most part, while Usyk was his usual self, appearing seemingly unfazed by the situation.
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WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman tried to intervene around the seventh minute of the face-off, but the pair continued.
Earlier, the fighters took part in the final press conference before they go toe-to-toe this weekend.
Fury's promotor Frank Warren explained how he was backing the 'Gypsy King' to "exploit the weaknesses" of Usyk.
"The first fight was magnificent, it was a great fight," said Warren.
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"It had everything, very close fight. This time around, I know these guys have shared the ring for 12 rounds, they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
“It’s gonna be about who can exploit the weaknesses. I believe Tyson Fury will come through this, and I don’t think this fight goes the distance [...] Do not blink after the first bell.”
Fury also weighed in with his thoughts, he said: "I’m gonna dish out a whole lot of pain. I’m gonna put this f***er in the hurt locker for sure.”
Of course, the Morcambe-based fighter will look to avenge his only professional loss on Saturday night, which he suffered against the Ukrainian back in May.
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On that occasion he seemed in control during the first half of the 12 round contest but appeared to run out of ideas in the second half of the bout.
Usyk came on strong in the latter rounds and almost finished the fight in round nine with a barrage of punches that Fury struggled to deal with.
But the former WBC heavyweight champion managed to get through the fight before the Ukrainian was crowned a majority decision winner making him the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis over two decades earlier.
How to watch Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk
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To watch Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk go head to head, there are three options:
1.) You can watch the rematch on DAZN with no subscription required. All you need to do is buy the PPV for £24.99 and you will automatically get a seven-day free trial which you can later cancel to stop the subscription from rolling over. You’ll be able to stream the match on a range of devices including PlayStation, Chromecast, and Smart TV. If you do decide to roll over your free trial, you’ll move onto a monthly plan costing £24.99 per month and get access to over 150 fights every year, with the option to cancel with 30 days’ notice.
2.) You can also tune in live on Sky Sports Box Office (Sky channel 491). The event is priced at £24.95 for Sky customers in the UK and $27.95 if you’re based in the Republic of Ireland. Sadly Sky does not offer free trials, but Sky subscribers can book the match here and if you’re new to Sky, you can sign up here.
3.) Finally, you can watch the fight on TNT Sports with a Prime Video subscription (free for the first month then £8.99/ month), provided you have discovery+ (from £3.99/ month) as part of your subscription. If you don't fancy shelling out, you can simply cancel your subscription after the first month.
Topics: Boxing, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Saudi Arabia
Luke Alfred Davies