• Tyson Fury knocks down Deontay Wilder during their rematch in Las Vegas in February 2020.
    Tyson Fury knocks down Deontay Wilder during their rematch in Las Vegas in February 2020.
  • Tyson Fury celebrates defeating Deontay Wilder to win the WBC World Heavyweight Championship at the Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
    Tyson Fury celebrates defeating Deontay Wilder to win the WBC World Heavyweight Championship at the Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
  • Tyson Fury celebrates with the belts after winning the fight.
    Tyson Fury celebrates with the belts after winning the fight.
  • Tyson Fury knocks down Deontay Wilder in the fifth round.
    Tyson Fury knocks down Deontay Wilder in the fifth round.
  • Tyson Fury knocks down Deontay Wilder.
    Tyson Fury knocks down Deontay Wilder.
  • Tyson Fury celebrates after knocking down Deontay Wilder.
    Tyson Fury celebrates after knocking down Deontay Wilder.
  • Tyson Fury watches Deontay Wilder hit the canvas.
    Tyson Fury watches Deontay Wilder hit the canvas.
  • Tyson Fury knocks down Deontay Wilder.
    Tyson Fury knocks down Deontay Wilder.
  • Tyson Fury in action against Deontay Wilder.
    Tyson Fury in action against Deontay Wilder.
  • Tyson Fury at the end of the first round.
    Tyson Fury at the end of the first round.
  • Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in the first round.
    Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in the first round.
  • Deontay Wilder enters the ring.
    Deontay Wilder enters the ring.
  • Tyson Fury arrives in the arena.
    Tyson Fury arrives in the arena.
  • Tyson Fury makes his entrance.
    Tyson Fury makes his entrance.
  • Former Heavyweight Champions Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield.
    Former Heavyweight Champions Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield.
  • Former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis in the ring.
    Former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis in the ring.
  • Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson before the fight.
    Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson before the fight.
  • NFL player Patrick Mahomes attends the WBC heavyweight title bout between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
    NFL player Patrick Mahomes attends the WBC heavyweight title bout between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
  • Boxing Hall of Fame member Mike Tyson attends the WBC heavyweight title bout between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
    Boxing Hall of Fame member Mike Tyson attends the WBC heavyweight title bout between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
  • Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson attends the WBC heavyweight title bout between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
    Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson attends the WBC heavyweight title bout between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
  • Former NFL player Chad Ochocinco Johnson.
    Former NFL player Chad Ochocinco Johnson.
  • Boxing Hall of Fame member Thomas Hearns attends the WBC heavyweight title bout between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
    Boxing Hall of Fame member Thomas Hearns attends the WBC heavyweight title bout between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
  • NBA Hall of Fame member Magic Johnson attends the WBC heavyweight title bout between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
    NBA Hall of Fame member Magic Johnson attends the WBC heavyweight title bout between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
  • Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and head coach John Gruden.
    Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and head coach John Gruden.

Tyson Fury warns Deontay Wilder 'mind games don’t work with me’


Steve Luckings
  • English
  • Arabic

Tyson Fury insists he is not affected by any mind games deployed by Deontay Wilder ahead of their WBC heavyweight title showdown in Las Vegas this weekend.

Wilder chose to remain silent at a previous press conference and Fury says he will not be unsettled by his opponent’s behaviour going into Saturday’s bout.

“I don’t care what they do. None of my business,” Fury told Sky Sports. “I keep my own business to myself and I don’t really care what that big dosser does, nothing.

“I don’t care what he does. If he talks or he doesn’t, it doesn’t make any difference to me.

“Mind games don’t work with me anyway.”

Unbeaten Fury is preparing for a third meeting with his American rival having knocked him out in stunning fashion in February 2020 after their first contest ended in a draw.

Defeat to Fury is the sole loss on Wilder’s professional record in 44 professional bouts.

Fury, 33, heads into the trilogy as the overwhelming favourite and says he can cope with anything 35-year-old Wilder has in his armoury.

“I don’t think it matters, what he does, because it’s not about him, it’s about me, what I do,” Fury, with 30 wins from 31 fights, said.

“It wouldn’t matter if he ran around the ring in a circle, if he comes forward throwing bombs.

“It doesn’t make any difference. When we’re in there, I’ll adjust to whatever it is on the night and what he’s going to do.

“Winning is winning, an inch or a mile – I’ll take a knockout or I’ll take a points victory.

“It doesn’t matter, as long as you get the win, you move on to the next one.”

The 'next one' will most likely be the winner of the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua slated for early next year.

Ukrainian Usyk comfortably beat Joshua last month to win the WBA, IBF and WBO belts and potentially scuppering a money-spinning payday between Fury and Joshua in what would be the biggest British heavyweight bout of all time.

Fury's co-promoter Frank Warren said this week a fight against Joshua could still take place.

Votes

Total votes: 1.8 million

Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes

Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes 

if you go
Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

Fixture and table

UAE finals day: Friday, April 13 at Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

  • 3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
  • 6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins

 

UAE Premiership – final standings

  1. Dubai Exiles
  2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins
  3. Jebel Ali Dragons
  4. Dubai Hurricanes
  5. Dubai Sports City Eagles
  6. Abu Dhabi Saracens
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
  • Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
  • Grade 5 = between grades B and C
  • Grade 4 = grade C
  • Grade 3 = between grades D and E
  • Grade 2 = between grades E and F
  • Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Updated: October 05, 2021, 7:50 AM