‘Everything Tyson Fury can do in boxing, Oleksandr Usyk can do it better’ – Former champion Hasim Rahman, who beat Lennox Lewis, makes prediction for undisputed heavyweight world title fight

Former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman has not given Tyson Fury much hope of beating Oleksandr Usyk.

It did not take long following Usyk's most recent title defence where he beat Anthony Joshua for attention to quickly turn to a potential undisputed heavyweight title clash between the Ukrainian and Fury.

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It began when WBC champion Fury called out Usyk immediately after he defended his WBA, WBO and IBF belts against Joshua, although he has only given his team until September 1 to make the fight and he is demanding £500 million.

Usyk has accepted the challenge and according to Fury's promoter, Bob Arum, they are working towards making the fight in February in the Middle East.

Should it go ahead, former unified heavyweight champion, Rahman, who is best known for knocking out Lennox Lewis, has given his prediction and he is backing Usyk.

"I think Usyk is the best heavyweight that’s currently fighting today," .

"I think Fury imitates Usyk, and he’s had a lot of success with it. Fighting plodding, slow heavyweights [who aren’t] really boxing like that.

"Everything Fury can do in boxing, Usyk can do it better.”

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Rahman went on to explain why the six inch height and 45lbs weight difference between Usyk and Fury would not necessarily be too much of a disadvantage for the Ukrainian to overcome.

“With heavyweights it’s different. Most heavyweights are lazy, and they don’t have that work ethic. With the smaller guys it’s a little different.

"With Usyk’s boxing IQ, that’s going to play a big, major part. A lot of time the smaller guys IQs kind of cancel each other out.”