Oleksandr Usyk has fired back at Tyson Fury after the Gypsy King threatened on Instagram that the Ukrainian boxer would “feel his wrath” in their upcoming rematch.

Usyk, 37, previously defeated Fury by unanimous decision in May, reclaiming the title of undisputed world heavyweight champion despite a challenging middle section of the fight. Both fighters are set to face off again on December 21, with the contract expiring at the end of the month. The highly anticipated rematch has been rescheduled to allow both boxers ample time to recover from facial injuries.

The fight is expected to take place in Saudi Arabia, with both boxers ramping up the verbal exchanges to promote the event. The latest exchange of barbs began with a bold Instagram post from Fury, which ominously warned Usyk to regret accepting the rematch, saying, “U about to feel the wrath of the Gypsy King. Should have finished when you had the chance!” This post was paired with a photo of Usyk landing a punch on Fury during their first bout and included a playful bunny rabbit emoji.

Unfazed by the threat, Usyk reposted Fury’s story with a simple yet cutting response: “You’re really cool, my friend.” To add to the humor, he paired his response with Tupac Shakur’s infamous diss track “Hit Em Up,” which is famous for its rivalry-themed lyrics.

During their initial clash, Usyk nearly stopped Fury in the ninth round, unleashing a barrage of 14 unanswered punches that had the Brit leaning on the ropes for support. Despite surviving that onslaught, Usyk believes he can learn from their first encounter and improve in the rematch.

Reflecting on their previous fight, Usyk stated, “From the last fight with Tyson Fury, I learned a lot about him. There were things I observed in the fight that I didn’t notice while watching his previous bouts on TV. We will prepare even better, and God willing, we will show our best form again.”

He emphasized his motivation, despite being told he has achieved everything, stating, “Every day is a new day, and we just keep working.”

Last week, Fury’s co-promoter, Todd DuBoef, commented on the fight dynamics, noting, “In those middle rounds, it felt like he was just teeing off on Fury, who got a bit complacent. I believe both fighters will be better this time around, with Fury learning a hard lesson about not taking things for granted.”