Tony Bellew vs Oleksandr Usyk - Weights, TV and Analysis

The Usyk vs Bellew IBF, WBC, WBA, WBO Cruiserweight title bout will headline a Matchroom Boxing card Saturday @ Manchester Arena (formerly M.E.N Arena), Manchester, Lancashire, United Kingdom. The fight will air live on Sky Sports Box Office in the United Kingdom (6 p.m. GST; £24.95 in HD) and a DAZN stream in the United States (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT).

Both fighters hit the scale and made weight. England’s Bellew (30-2-1, 20 KOs) weighed in at 199 LBS and Ukraine’s Usyk officially weighed 198¼ LBS.

Bellew is coming off 10 straight wins since 2014, seven of those wins by knockout. He is 7-0, including four knockouts, as a cruiserweight. He also won the vacant WBC world cruiserweight title in May 2016 beating Ilunga Makabu by third-round technical knockout to win that title in his hometown of Liverpool. Bellew was down in the 1st round from a left hook.

The 31-year-old Usyk is the undisputed cruiserweight champion and currently dominating the division. He defeated former WBO champ Marco Huck, ex-WBC champ Mairis Briedis and ex-IBF champ Murat Gassiev, to win the World Boxing Super Series’ cruiserweight tournament. Usyk has a 73% knockout ratio and many consider him to be a future top 10 pound for pound boxer.

This is a good fight for Oleksandr Usyk, he will be on show in front of a large UK audience. Based on what we've seen i would not say this is an easy fight for him but I don't see him losing. Tony Bellew is no push over and a vet in the ring. What are the best odds - Usyk 1/5 - Bellew 9/2 - Draw 33/1.

Bellew has the punching power to knock Usyk out. He should wait for his chance to do so in the second half of the fight. Bellew will fight well but to fall a little short. Usyk will dominate most of the fight and we might even see a late knockout.