Tyson Fury announced the signing of a bout agreement for a heavyweight title unification match with Oleksandr Usyk, ending a long negotiation period between the undefeated boxers; the match is expected to take place in Saudi Arabia.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are finally set to go head-to-head. Fury, boasting a record of 33-0-1 with 24 Knockouts (KOs), took to Instagram on Friday to declare that a contract for a heavyweight title unification bout with Usyk, who has a record of 21-0 with 14 KOs, has been signed. Reports initially surfaced on ESPN suggesting that the bout could potentially take place either on December 23rd or sometime in January.
The confirmation of the bout implies an end to the long-drawn negotiation period between these undefeated boxing stars. Both fighters have been mutually vocal in accusing each other of delaying the agreement for the bout. The fight is expected to happen in Saudi Arabia, where Fury is slated to compete on October 28th against the former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, in a non-title bout in Riyadh. It is speculated that the date for Fury’s fight with Usyk could change should Fury be injured in his fight with Ngannou.
The Fury vs. Usyk bout is positioned to determine boxing’s undisputed heavyweight champion. This is a title that was held by Fury, also known as “The Gypsy King,” in 2015 following his defeat of Wladimir Klitschko. However, Fury vacated his titles in 2016 due to mental health struggles and an anti-doping investigation which resulted in Fury serving a two-year suspension from competition. Fury won the WBC belt after his triumphant comeback against Deontay Wilder. Usyk, on the other hand, clinched the WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight titles after unanimously defeating Anthony Joshua in September 2021. Following a split win in an immediate rematch with Joshua, Usyk successfully defended his belt against mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois in August via a ninth-round knockout.