WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury believes Oleksandr Usyk is too small to withstand his punching power.

Fury, who holds a significant advantage in size and weight, is slated to face Usyk, who holds the WBO, IBF, IBO, WBA heavyweight titles, in the first quarter of the new year.

Their handlers are in talks and inching closer to nearing a completed deal for the fight. At the moment, the contest is targeted to take place in the month of March, and the Middle East appears to be the likely location.

"I’m going to try my heart out to do this Usyk fight for the undisputed championship. It’s a fight that he wants so he says. And I want, we all put it all on the line again and we’ll see who wins," Fury told The Telegraph.

"I don’t think he’s big enough and strong enough to stand up to the punches, and he’s a natural lighter man. When we were both younger, as amateurs, Usyk was a middleweight at the same time I was super heavyweight and weighed 110 kilos. It’s a challenge, but he’ll be running away like a little bitch all night. And I will hunt him down and when I get hold of him he’ll be crushed."

Usyk has taken part in four bouts in the heavyweight division. After becoming the undisputed champion at cruiserweight, Usyk moved up to heavyweight in 2019, when he stopped Chazz Witherspoon. The following year he won a tough twelve round decision over Derek Chisora, before returning in 2021 to shock Anthony Joshua for the heavyweight titles. Back in August, Usyk made good by securing another twelve round decision win over Joshua in their contracted rematch.