Former WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury recently made a surprising revelation, admitting that he hasn’t been in contact with his wife, Paris, and kids for the past three months as he prepared for his highly anticipated rematch against Oleksandr Usyk. Now, the undefeated Ukrainian has reacted to Fury’s comments, as he shared updates on his own relationship with his family.

The pair will collide on December 21st at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia since their first fight in May ended with Usyk getting the upper hand with a split decision victory over ‘The Gypsy King.’ Going into their second bout, Fury seems to have tunnel vision on winning their second date in the ring, as he has sacrificed talking to his loved ones.

While speaking to TNT Sports presenter Dev Sahni just the other day, he said, “It’s been a long camp. Been away from my wife and kids for three months. I’ve not spoken to Paris at all for three months, not one word.” While it’s yet to be seen whether distancing himself from his family to focus on the fight would help him or not, Usyk’s beliefs and motivation are completely different.

Speaking to representatives from TNT Sports during his grand arrival for the fight, Usyk revealed he hasn’t seen his family in person in the last five months. However, he speaks to his family every day, emphasizing that they are his greatest motivation to secure victory. “I speak with my wife every day. Every time, every second, every minute,” Usyk said.

“My children too. It’s helped me because it’s my family,” he added. As for Fury staying out of reach with his wife and kids to focus on the upcoming fight, Usyk isn’t bothered by what his opponent is doing. “It doesn’t matter what Tyson [does], for me, it matters what I do.” He also revealed that his youngest daughter, Maria, has started walking on her own.

Not just that, Usyk also said, “[She has also started to talk, saying,] mama, baba. This is the real motivation for me.” Interestingly, Usyk had previously missed a significant aspect of his daughter’s life because of the fight.

Oleksandr Usyk missed his daughter’s birth because of the Tyson Fury fight

Back in February, Oleksandr Usyk revealed he missed the birth of his daughter in January while preparing for his first fight against Tyson Fury. Originally scheduled for February 17, the bout was delayed to May 18 after Fury sustained a cut during sparring. Usyk, who was training in Spain, sacrificed family milestones to focus on the fight.

“I have sacrificed a lot [for this fight],” the 37-year-old Ukrainian said. “I did not celebrate any holidays – not New Year’s Eve, not my birthday, nor the birthdays of my children. I was not with my wife when she gave birth… I should have been there, in the [hospital] corridors.” Despite the delay and personal sacrifices, Usyk remained optimistic. “I’m still happy – things happen, it’s life,” he told the BBC.

That being said, both Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk seem to have sacrificed significant aspects of their lives for the upcoming fight. However, there can be only one winner and a few days from now, the world will know who that will be. What do you think about Usyk’s response to Fury’s sacrifice? Who do you think will win?