Usyk will take on Fury next February as the two heavyweight world champions meet to crown the undisputed ruler of the division

Tyson Fury may mock Oleskandr Usyk for his size – but the heavyweight world champion has almost identical stats to boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

Usyk is preparing to take on fellow world champion Tyson Fury in February as he attempts to become the undisputed ruler of the heavyweight division. Ali held that title briefly in 1967 and between 1974 and 1978 when there were only two belts up for grabs as opposed to the four shared between Usyk and Fury.

But a look beyond their records show some interesting similarities between Usyk and Ali. Usyk stands at 6ft 3in, the same as Ali and both men carried a 78inch reach advantage into the ring. And while their weights differ – Usyk has settled at around 221lb since moving up from the cruiserweight division while Ali was around 215lb in his prime – the latter’s weight fluctuated wildly during his legendary career.

Ali is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in history and enjoyed two reigns as world champion as well as several high-profile rivalries with the likes of George Foreman and Joe Frazier. Ali was also known for his colourful language and trash talking but Usyk, who was the undisputed champion at cruiserweight before moving up, may share similar stats to Ali, but he prefers to let his hands do the talking.

“I will speak in the ring. Every time Tyson Fury speaks a lot. For me it doesn’t matter,” he said at a recent press conference. Fury, meanwhile, again took aim at Usyk’s size and insisted he will have his hand raised on February 17. “We’ve both been chosen and there can only be one winner,” he said. “I’m going to become the undisputed champion. More than that, I’m destined to cement my legacy as the No.1 fighter of this era.

“To do that I’ve got to beat this little man, which is easier said than done because he’s a tricky boxer, slick and all of that. But I’ve seen many like him before and when they fight the big men, they struggle. And he will struggle on February 17. I will break him.

“He’s a middleweight, but it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog and he’s obviously got a lot of fight in him. But when you meet a big man who is a lot bigger but also has the fight inside him, let’s put it in a nutshell – you’re f****d.”