Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to face off in their much-anticipated unified world heavyweight title clash, rescheduled for May 18 in Riyadh, as confirmed by promoters from both Britain and Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Originally slated for February 17 in Riyadh, the bout was regrettably postponed after Britain’s Fury sustained a cut during a sparring session.
This “Ring of Fire” showdown aims to unify Fury’s WBC heavyweight championship with Usyk’s WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO belts, culminating in the first unified heavyweight boxing champion since 1999.
The 35-year-old Fury secured his WBC title with a knockout victory over American Deontay Wilder in 2020, while the 37-year-old Usyk claimed his belts by outscoring Britain’s Anthony Joshua in 2021. Both boxers boast undefeated professional careers.
Speaking on a special edition of the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani on YouTube, Saudi entertainment head and organiser Turki Alalshikh expressed confidence in the rescheduled fight, stating, “This fight, I want it to happen… On the 18th of May, we will have Tyson-Usyk. On the 18th, we will have the answer.” Alalshikh also mentioned that the date of May 18 coincided with the IBF’s deadline for the fight to take place.
Fury and Usyk, appearing via video links from Saudi Arabia and Spain, respectively, confirmed their agreement on the new date. Fury detailed that he suffered the injury during the fifth round of a scheduled 12-round sparring session with four different boxers, necessitating a hospital visit and 11 stitches.
“They have the medical reports; they have everything. There is nothing much anybody can do about getting a cut in sparring. Shit happens. Never had one before. First time for everything,” Fury explained, dismissing suggestions from Usyk’s camp that he was seeking an excuse to withdraw.
“Why would I not want to fight for the biggest payday in my life?” Fury rebutted. “I’ve put 10 weeks into a training camp. Why would I not want to fight?”
Usyk, in response to the postponement, shared, “Just smile. I just smile and go to training.”
Saudi organiser Riyadh Season announced on Friday that tickets for the original fight would be refunded. The anticipation for this high-stakes clash continues to build as fight fans look forward to witnessing the two undefeated champions battle for heavyweight supremacy.
