By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 5 hours ago, Updated now
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk soon in the ring. ANDREW COULDRIDGE / REUTERS
The date of this anticipated heavyweight fight has yet to be determined. There will be talk of unification of world belts.
An agreement has been reached for a fight to unify the world heavyweight boxing belts between the British Tyson Fury and the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, on a date still to be determined, the promoter announced on Friday.Gypsy King», Frank Warren.
The long-awaited fight will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between Fury (35 years old), holder of the WBC belt in the category, and Usyk (36 years old), who barely retained the WBA, IBF and WBO titles against British hopeful Daniel Dubois at the end of August. “Heavyweights always spark the imagination of fans, and I have no doubt that this will be the biggest boxing event of the century“, commented Warren. “This is the greatest fight that can be possible in our sport“, he added.
The winner of this fight will become the first boxer to have all four heavyweight belts since the British Lennox Lewis in 1999.I can’t believe this is going to happen, but here we are“, for his part declared Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk. “It’s hard to express my admiration until I’m part of the biggest heavyweight fight of the century. Respect to Tyson for his courage.»
Duel of the undefeated
Since his professional debut in 2008, Fury has won 33 fights (1 draw). Usyk is also undefeated in 21 professional fights. Usyk won the three belts in September 2021 against the holder Anthony Joshua, before retaining them during a rematch organized in August 2022. He barely kept them on August 26 in Wroclaw in Poland against British hopeful Daniel Dubois. This last fight was organized at the request of the WBA after the failure of negotiations to organize a unification fight against Fury. The latter was held responsible for this failure and targeted by criticism, while their fight was initially scheduled for April at Wembley.
The fight, eagerly awaited by fans of the noble art, is no less salivating for the two protagonists who have shown themselves, via social networks, ready to fight: “I do what I say. I say what I do. (Champion) Undisputed. It’s the era of the Gypsy King“, Fury posted on Instagram, before adding. “You won’t be able to run like a rabbit anymore, Usyk.» Before this battle of the titans, Fury must face the former world heavyweight MMA champion, Cameroonian Francis Ngannou, without a title at stake, on October 28 in Riyadh.
