Tyson Fury takes aim at 'coward' Dillian Whyte with Oleksandr Usyk also in sights

Tyson Fury says he will make easy work of “coward” Dillian Whyte before switching attention to “sending little sucker Oleksandr Usyk packing” and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

The undefeated Brit, who currently holds the WBC belt, is set to face mandatory challenger Whyte in the UK in late April after Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren won purse bids last month to stage the fight.

Fury, 33, is to receive 80 per cent of the record $42 million purse, although that could change should Whyte be successful in his appeal to the WBC for a larger share.

Speaking on Tuesday during a short stay in Dubai, Fury said a press conference to promote the April clash would take place in the UK on Thursday, with details to come on where the fight will be staged. The Principality Stadium in Wales has been mooted as a possible venue, and the bout slated for April 23.

“Press conference Thursday,” Fury told The National. “That’s the fight we’re going to do. Frank won the purse bids. And now what we’re going to do is knock [him] out.”

Fury, whose professional record stands at 31 wins and one draw, last fought in October, when he knocked out Deontay Wilder in their trilogy bout in Las Vegas. In doing so, Fury took the series 2-0 — their first encounter ended in a controversial draw.

Whyte, meanwhile, has not competed since his rematch victory in March against former WBA champion Alexander Povetkin. Whyte's record reads 28-2.

Asked what sort of threat his fellow Brit poses, Fury said: “Nothing. The guy’s a bum. None of these fights turn me on any more. Not one of them. It’s just a boxing match to me now.

“Even the Wilder fights didn’t really get me up for the fights. It’s just a boxing match these days. I don’t have any specific reason for doing it. I do it because I can and it’s easy. That’s it.”

While Fury has been characteristically vocal during the past few weeks, Whyte has kept his counsel, other than a two-word response on Instagram to his upcoming opponent that read: “Just work”.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said Whyte’s focus on the fight illustrates his hunger, with the Matchroom chief at the same time questioning Fury’s desire.

“I’m not really interested in it,” Fury said. “I just think [Whyte is] a bit of a [expletive]. I know he’s a [expletive]. Because I put it on him and he wouldn’t even fight back. Coward. And I ain’t got no time for cowards.”

On how the fight against Whyte would play out, Fury added: “Easy. I knock [him] out. Very easy as well. I’m going to land one of these bazookas on him and it’s going to be over.”

Be successful against Whyte — Fury goes into the contest as overwhelming favourite — and a unification bout against either Usyk or Anthony Joshua awaits.

At present, Usyk holds the WBA, WBO and IBF titles having dominated then-champion Joshua in London in September, winning by unanimous decision. The pair are scheduled to fight once more, most likely in April or May, after Joshua officially triggered his rematch clause. Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, has won all 19 professional fights.

“You can only take who you can fight at the time,” Fury said. “I’ve got Dillian Whyte next and then there’s a little sucker called Usyk who I’m going to absolutely set about rotten.

“The middleweight. Send him packing. Send him back down to middleweight. That’s all I’m going to do.”

Fury said he sees little threat posed by Usyk, who before defeating Joshua was in his previous fight taken to 12 rounds by Derek Chisora. The Ukrainian ultimately prevailed on points.

Tyson Fury at the MTK Strong gym in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

“AJ’s a big old bodybuilder,” Fury said. “He ain’t worth a carrot. I don’t want to hear how good Usyk is. Let him fight a real heavyweight. He fought an old journeyman in Derek Chisora and it was life and death.

“And then he fought a bodybuilder who’s not even a boxer and had a life-and-death [fight]. Until he fights a real fighting man you can’t call him a champion.

“All roads lead to me; I’m the ‘Gypsy King’. If he can beat me I’d say he’s a good man. But if he can’t I’ll still say he’s useless.”

As to how he saw Usyk-Joshua 2, Fury said: “Usyk will beat him in the rematch. Yet again. Because AJ’s a bum, he can’t fight. He’s been exposed. He’s a cross-fit bum. And that’s all I want to say.”

Saudi Arabia has been tipped as front-runner to host the eventual heavyweight unification bout, with a deal in place last year for Fury versus Joshua before it was shelved. Fury was made to meet Wilder, leaving Joshua to go up against Usyk, then the WBO mandatory challenger.

On Tuesday, Fury would not rule out competing in the Middle East this year, saying: “I’ll be fighting here very soon. Don’t ask me no questions because I don’t want to tell you any lies.”

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- set out well ahead of time

- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines

- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on

- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers

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1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

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7. Limited time periods for audits

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8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

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10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)

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Sunday

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Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

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British group

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British male

Harry Styles

Lewis Capaldi

Dave

Michael Kiwanuka

Stormzy

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Lewis Capaldi

Dave

Mabel

Sam Fender

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Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care

Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up

Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant

Dave - Location

Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove

Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved

Tom Walker - Just You and I

Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger

Stormzy - Vossi Bop

International female

Ariana Grande

Billie Eilish

Camila Cabello

Lana Del Rey

Lizzo

International male

Bruce Springsteen

Burna Boy

Tyler, The Creator

Dermot Kennedy

Post Malone

Best album

Stormzy - Heavy is the Head

Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka

Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent

Dave - Psychodrama

Harry Styles - Fine Line

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“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.

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Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

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As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.