OLEKSANDR USYK would happily sit down for a pint with Tyson Fury if he were to spend the day with his fierce rival.
The pair renew their rivalry in Saudi Arabia next Saturday just seven months after their historic dust-up for all the heavyweight marbles.
The trash talk has ramped up in recent weeks but there remains a healthy respect between the pair, so much so that Usyk is willing to put all the Gypsy King’s “rabbit” jokes aside and visit the boozer with him.
During an interview with Sky Sports, Usyk said: “Listen I can go to the pub, drinking beer.
“After, we go to play golf and then we go to play football. Then we go horse racing.
As he fought back fits of laughter, the fan favourite added: “Yes [a few beers]. No problem.”
As well as a love for boxing, both men have a soft spot for Manchester United, who they’ll be cheering on this Sunday when Ruben Amorin’s men take Manchester City.
When asked which Premier League team he’d love to play for, Usyk said: “If I had a choice, I’d play for Manchester United.
After being told both he and Fury will be on the same page during the Manchester derby, Usyk replied: “Yeah, of course, The same.”
When asked to predict the result, the slick southpaw said: “I think Manchester United [will win].
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“But Manchester City have good players and a good coach.”
Usyk became the first undisputed king of the heavyweights in nearly 25 years with a split-decision victory in his May melee with Fury.
Fury, 36, insists the judges robbed him of fulfilling his childhood dream and has vowed to take the legacy-defining rematch out of their hands.
The former unified heavyweight champion said: “I’ve always been a bad man my whole life, and I’m still one today at nearly 40 years old, a few years off 40.
“I’m going to go in there with destroy mode. Last time, I went to box him, I was being cautious.
“Anybody can get caught as we have seen in a lot of these heavyweight fights.
“But this time I’m not going for a points decision. I’m going to knock that motherf****r out.”
He added: “There’s no secret. I’m going in there to knock you out.
“Because I don’t think I’m going to get a decision no matter what I do.
“I don’t think I’m going to get a boxing decision.
“So I’m going to have to take it out of the judges’ hands like I did in America that time [against Deontay Wilder].
“And I’ve got to get him out of there. Hand on heart, I have to get him out of there to see victory.”
