WBC, IBF, WBA light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev is backing Tyson Fury to win his upcoming undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury and Usyk will collide for the WBC, IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO heavyweight titles on February 17 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Beterbiev lost to Usyk on two occasions in the amateurs, when they fought at 91kgs (cruiserweight) in the 2011 amateur world championships and during the 2012 Olympics.

However, Beterbiev explains that he also defeated Usyk in the amateurs when they met at light heavyweight.

"That time my weight was only 83kgs," Beterbiev told Sky Sports. "I've never been 90kgs in a fight. We had another fight too in the amateurs. There was a match [in Russia], I had fight with him there at 81kgs and I beat him on the first day [of the tournament]. You know Oleksandr Usyk, he does his job very well. What I can say, good for him."

As a pro, Usyk would begin his run at 200-pounds and eventually he became the undisputed world champion at cruiserweight.

He would later move up to heavyweight and secured back to back wins over Anthony Joshua to capture the unified crown. 

Now Usyk is one win away from being the undisputed beltholder at the weight, but Beterbiev is not expecting that to happen. 

"I said when they fight, Oleksandr Usyk with Joshua, I said I think Joshua is going to win. I'm more for Joshua because he's a real heavyweight. He's not a cruiserweight," Beterbiev said.

"There's a big difference. I say who is preparing well, will win. Now too, I think Tyson Fury is going to win. But who's preparing well, he's going to win."