Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk confirm undisputed heavyweight showdown, Frank Warren rules out December 23 date
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ByEurosport
Updated 29/10/2023 at 15:04 GMT
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have confirmed they will fight to become the first undisputed heavyweight since the four-belt (WBC, IBF, WBO and WBO) era was established. Fury said it "will be our next fight guaranteed" in the ring after he earned a split-decision win over Francis Ngannou in ‘The Battle of the Baddest’. December 23 had been rumoured as the date but Frank Warren has ruled that out.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk face off after the Heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou at Boulevard Hall on October 28, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Image credit: Getty Images
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have confirmed they will fight each other next to be crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, but Frank Warren has ruled out the December 23 date that had been rumoured.
Fury and Usyk faced off in the ring after the former secured a split-decision win in his 'Battle of the Baddest' bout against Francis Ngannou.
After going toe-to-toe with the MMA star over 10 rounds in Saudi Arabia, the 'Gypsy King' insisted he was ready to face Usyk right there and then, but his promoter said it would not happen until 2024.
"It will go ahead but it will not be on the 23rd," Warren confirmed. "It was crazy for some people to suggest that it could still go ahead on [December] 23rd.
"He is 35 years old and has just done a 12-week training camp and has just been in a tough fight. He needs a break with his family, he needs to switch off and we will announce the date when we are ready.
"But the fight is signed. The fight will happen. It will happen early in the new year, late January or February. That will be up to Tyson, it is his body.
"Fury said in the ring that he would fight on the 23rd – and he would do it – but he needs protecting from himself and that’s my job."
Addressing Usyk in the ring after being pushed all the way by Ngannou, Fury said: "Listen, it's been going on a long time. We were supposed to fight in April at Wembley. It never happened. Let's do the fight over here [Saudi Arabia].
"His excellency Turki Al-Sheikh is going to put the fight on for all the belts, the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. Let's go my brother, let's go."
Usyk simply replied: “Let’s go.”
As for when it would take place, Fury added: "Listen it's not up to me, I'm a fighter and he's a fighter. I'm sure we could go now. Let's go now if you want!
"These guys [gesturing at Warren] will sort it all out and it will be on, it will be our next fight guaranteed."
Fury is the WBC title holder – though he did not put that belt on the line in his ‘Battle of the Baddest’ encounter with Ngannou – while Usyk holds the WBA, WBO and IBF championship belts.
Prior to the Ngannou fight, Fury had not been in the ring since last December when he took on Derek Chisora in a trilogy rematch. Usyk faced mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois in Poland in August, where he won a controversial match by stoppage in the ninth round.
Fury and Usyk now have the chance to fight to become the first undisputed heavyweight since the four-belt (WBC, IBF, WBO and WBO) era was established.
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