Is Tyson Fury Irish? What the boxer has said about his roots ahead of Oleksandr Usyk rematch

Tyson Fury aims to avenge the sole defeat of his professional career when he steps into the ring to face Oleksandr Usyk in their highly anticipated rematch on Saturday night.

The Gypsy King lost via split decision after the pair battled it out over 12 rounds of war back in May, with two judges scoring the bout 114-113 and 115-112 to Usyk, while the other had it 114-113 in Fury's facour. They are back in Saudi Arabia to do it all again and another cracker is expected just days before Christmas.

Fury was born in Wythenshawe, south Manchester, and now resides in Morecambe. But not many people may know about the Gypsy King's Irish roots.

The heavyweight star's father John, who headbutted a member of Usyk's team earlier this year, is from Tuam in Co Galway, while his mother hails from Belfast. His grandfather is also from Tuam.

The 36-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.

"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.

John Fury and Tyson Fury
(Image: Getty Images)

"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.

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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