Credit where credit's due.
Tyson Fury isn't everyone's cup of tea but you have to take your hat off to him for his incredible weight loss journey.
At his heaviest, Fury had ballooned up to 27 stone during his time away from the ring but he's back, with a return fight scheduled for June 9 in Manchester.
Before Christmas, the undefeated heavyweight revealed that he was
halfway through his route back to fight shape and,
in February, he announced to the world that he was "weighing 18 stone 10lbs solid!"
https://twitter.com/JOE_co_uk/status/965372369031311360
Having previously predicted that he'd never see 18 and a half stone again, Fury has outdone himself with his most recent update.
After a press conference on Thursday to promote his comeback card, the 29-year-old revealed just how much weight he'd lost thanks to a
detailed ketogenic diet and dedicated training regime.
Speaking to
iFL TV, Fury said: "I'm around about 17st 10lbs at the minute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYabP5vwvZ4
"But we're going to put a bit of weight on for the fight because I feel a bit thin. So I'm going to go up a stone or two.
"I'm going to weigh around the 19 mark, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less. Not less, actually, probably 19 or above.
"For Klitschko, I was around 18st 5lbs but I was very skinny. I'd done a lot of training for that fight.
"For this one, I'll have more muscle and look sexier. The abs will be better, the arms will be bigger."
Now it should be pointed out at this point that everything Fury says should be taken with a healthy serving of salt and, in the above interview, he did break out his usual Fury shtick of making far-fetched statements with a straight face.
But the results of Fury's body transformation are clear to see and he's obviously come a long way since Ricky Hatton posted the below photograph to Twitter last year.
https://twitter.com/HitmanHatton/status/933682864972906498?tfw_creator=DarrMurphy&tfw_site=JOE_co_uk&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fextent-of-tyson-furys-weight-loss-challenge-revealed-by-ricky-hatton-150328
Fury has claimed that a comment from fellow undefeated heavyweight Deontay Wilder was what ultimately inspired him to look in the mirror and make a change.
"I am finally back in shape and have set a date — it was Deontay Wilder who spurred me on because he said I could not do it, he said I was finished," Fury said. "I wanted to prove him wrong.
"I was walking my dog along the canal and when I heard that I looked at myself and thought ‘you fat pig’. I felt like jumping in and drowning myself.
"But I am in a very good place and a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter. I feel fully focused, sharp and strong and fast. The two years out helped me, I never had a break since starting as a child.
"I had much-needed time with my family and have my head working again."
