Boxing fans joke about reason why Tyson Fury decided to keep his beard within seconds of Oleksandr Usyk fight

Tyson Fury's beard has been one of the big talking points ahead of his much-anticipated heavyweight clash with Oleksandr Usyk – and many joked that he kept the facial hair to match his Christmas-themed entrance.

The 'Gypsy King' is hoping to regain the WBA, WBO and WBC belts this weekend in his rematch against Usyk.

Ahead of the bout, there were fears that Fury could be banned unless he shaved his beard, with boxers being typically made to trim their beards to a shorter length, as long facial hair can cushion the blow from punches.

But days before the fight, Fury's manager confirmed that he won't be shaving his beard, despite complaints from Usyk's camp.

"Tyson Fury has boxed with a beard on many occasions as do other fighters, most recently [Artur] Beterbiev," said Spencer Brown.

"Usyk himself has come out publicly and said Tyson having a beard is no problem. There is no law or ruling in boxing to say you can't fight with a beard. It's ridiculous that this has already been brought up in a rules meeting to no avail.

"Simply put if Usyk had a beard we would have no issue. This is not a fashion show, it's boxing."

Fury walked down to the ring sporting his new-look beard and while doing so, many joked that he kept the facial hair to match his Christmas-themed entrance featuring Mariah Carey's song "All I Want for Christmas Is You".

Here's how fans on social media reacted.

One said: "Fury passionately lip syncing to Mariah Carey whilst dressed in a Santa robe is the festive ring walk of dreams."

A second wrote: "So now we know what Fury's beard is all about, He's auditioning for Santa Claus," and a third commented: "Fury really went all in on the Santa bit. Grew the beard and wore the costume."

A fourth said: "Maybe that's why he grew the beard," and a fifth added: "So Fury is dressed as Santa tonight? Beard an all? Interesting."

How to watch Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk

This article contains affiliate links and LADbible Group will make a commission on anything purchased.

To watch Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk go head to head, there are three options:

1.) You can watch the rematch on DAZN with no subscription required. All you need to do is buy the PPV for £24.99 and you will automatically get a seven-day free trial which you can later cancel to stop the subscription from rolling over. You’ll be able to stream the match on a range of devices including PlayStation, Chromecast, and Smart TV. If you do decide to roll over your free trial, you’ll move onto a monthly plan costing £24.99 per month and get access to over 150 fights every year, with the option to cancel with 30 days’ notice.

2.) You can also tune in live on Sky Sports Box Office (Sky channel 491). The event is priced at £24.95 for Sky customers in the UK and $27.95 if you’re based in the Republic of Ireland. Sadly Sky does not offer free trials, but Sky subscribers can book the match here and if you’re new to Sky, you can sign up here.

3.) Finally, you can watch the fight on TNT Sports with a Prime Video subscription (free for the first month then £8.99/ month), provided you have discovery+ (from £3.99/ month) as part of your subscription. If you don't fancy shelling out, you can simply cancel your subscription after the first month.