Tyson Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk for all the heavyweight world titles in an historic bout tonight. However, not many people might know about his Irish roots.
The Gypsy King is undefeated in 35 professional fights, while Usyk has hand his raised victorious in all 21 of his pro bouts. Saturday's bout will be the first time in 25 years that two men have fought for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
Fury was born in Manchester, but his father John, who headbutted a member of Usyk's team earlier this week, is from Tuam in Co Galway, while his mother hails from Belfast. His grandfather is also from Tuam.
READ MORE: Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk fight time, TV channel information and cost
The 35-year-old previously held the Irish professional heavyweight title and represented Ireland as an amateur on three occasions. Fury's family come from a traveller background - something he is hugely proud of.
He previously said: "I'm proud of what I am. I'll tell you what makes a traveller: you're born one like you're born black. To me it is irrelevant whether I live in a house, a caravan or a tent.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to lock horns in a huge bout on May 18 with each fighter attempting to etch their name in boxing history as the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999. The stakes couldn't be higher as the pair will go head to head for the prestigious WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF titles.
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DAZN"I like the feel of being a gypsy. The traveller background gives you that ultimate fighting steel, the determination and will to win, to dig deep. There's no loser in me.
"As a traveller you never regret anything. You do what you have to do and move on. No ifs, buts or whys."
And after beating Wladimir Klitschko to become world champion in 2015, a delighted Fury beamed: "I’m the first Irish heavyweight champion of the world, me Tyson Fury."
Fury donned green shorts and gloves for his fight against Deontay Wilder in Los Angeles.
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He once told Irish Central.com: “All my people are from Ireland. I was born in Manchester but I am Irish. I have lived in Ireland, visited all my life and when I fight I represent Ireland."
Fury is also a distant cousin of former WBO middleweight champion and Limerick native Andy Lee as their grandmothers were sisters.
He has fought in Dublin before, on the undercard of Bernard Dunne's last outing when he lost his WBA Super Bantamweight title to Prakorb Udomna.
He also fought in Belfast in 2018 when beating German Francesco Pianeta at Windsor Park on the undercard of Carl Frampton's win over Luke Jackson.
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