Tyson Fury has been advised by boxing legend Riddick Bowe to withdraw from his heavyweight world title fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

Bowe's advice comes after Fury's close call against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia last weekend, where he barely won by split decision.

Bowe expressed his thoughts to Fight Hype, saying: "If I was Tyson I would pull out. I wouldn't fight. Not this early. I would say my hand is hurt. I would postpone or wiggle my way out until I get into better shape then see him down the line.

"He's bewildered and he's disappointed because of this man who did things to him he never thought could happen. As a champion, his heart is broken. I know how it feels to be knocked down. All these things happen and you go back and think about it and it made me depressed for a month or so."

READ MORE: Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight set for delay as new date emerges

READ MORE: Tommy Fury agrees next fight and says 'it would be an honour' to clash with opponent

Usyk was present to see Fury's close call with Ngannou, where the Gypsy King won by a single point according to the judges. The world title contest was supposed to happen on December 23 in Saudi Arabia but it's now likely to be at the end of Riyadh season in February.

Fury ended up with a black eye and a scraped forehead after his victory, while Ngannou barely had a mark on him, even though he was elbowed in the face illegally by Fury. Usyk's surprised reaction when Fury was knocked down was caught on camera, and the Ukrainian explained why he was shouting advice to his rival from the sidelines.

"At the knockdown, I said, 'Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, Francis, be careful, please!' I said, 'Tyson, jab, jab, move, jab!'. It's true, I was a little bit nervous that our fight was possibly in jeopardy. I even started to shout out to him some small things, like: 'Use your jab, jab him faster.' That's it," Usyk told Boxing King Media.

"It might look weird when my future opponent is fighting and I'm here cheering him on and backing him, shouting some tips for him. It looks weird probably, but from the other point of view. Let's say myself, my team, my country, the whole world wants to see the fight happening, so that's why it's important we do everything possible to make it happen."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.