UNDISPUTED! Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk heavyweight title fight set for February in Saudi Arabia, per reports
The long-awaited undisputed heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is reportedly set to materialize. In his most recent boxing match, reigning WBC heavyweight champion Fury faced former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 28, 2023.
The fight marked MMA stalwart Francis Ngannou's boxing debut. Despite it being the former UFC star's maiden boxing bout, Ngannou managed to score a knockdown against Fury, the only knockdown by either fighter in their 10-round showdown.
Ngannou ended up losing the closely-contested fight via split decision. Regardless, many have asserted that the judges ought to have awarded him the decision victory as he landed the more powerful punches and dropped Fury.
Prior to the Fury-Ngannou fight, 'The Gypsy King' had signed a contract to face unified WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk after Ngannou. The Fury-Usyk matchup, which would crown boxing's new undisputed heavyweight champion, was expected to transpire on December 23, 2023, or in January 2024.
Nevertheless, the consensus was that if Fury were to lose and/or sustain an injury against Ngannou, the Fury-Usyk fight would be jeopardized. On that note, given Fury's grueling fight against Ngannou and the fact that he suffered a knockdown, his fight against Usyk has now seemingly been postponed.
As per ESPN's Mike Coppinger, the undisputed heavyweight title matchup between Fury and Usyk would reportedly take place in February 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Tyson Fury commences trash talk against Oleksandr Usyk amid backlash over Francis Ngannou fight
In the aftermath of his razor-thin victory over boxing debutant Francis Ngannou, Tyson Fury has been facing severe backlash in the combat sports community. While many expected him to dominantly beat Ngannou, 'The Gypsy King' narrowly escaped defeat and bagged a controversial win on the judges' scorecards.
Ergo, many argue that currently, Ngannou's shadow looms large over the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight.
Jibing at Tyson Fury over his performance against Francis Ngannou, Oleksandr Usyk posted a video wherein he mocked 'The Gypsy King.' Not one to be outdone, Fury fired back with a social media post of his own, warning Usyk that the latter is his next target. Channeling his oft-discussed mental warfare and trash-talking prowess, Fury wrote:
"You're getting it next."
As for Francis Ngannou, he's expressed interest in a rematch against Tyson Fury. Besides, rumors are rife that Ngannou could possibly fight Deontay Wilder in a boxing, MMA, or a mixed rules matchup. Meanwhile, an official announcement of the date for the undisputed title fight between undefeated champions Fury and Usyk is likely to be made in the days to come.