Alexander Usyk vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight title fight could take place in February

A heavyweight title fight between Alexander Usyk and Tyson Fury now looks set to take place in February.

“I’m not 100 percent sure. I’ll be sure when I get in the ring,” Usyk said. “I would be standing in one corner and Tyson Fury would be standing in the opposite corner and there would be a referee in a white shirt between us and when I heard the bell I knew, yes, the fight is on. “

Tyson Fury defeated MMA fighter Ngannou by split decision

The Ukrainians were skeptical because the match was scheduled to take place on December 23 in Saudi Arabia. This was before Fury was knocked out and nearly defeated by first-time MMA fighter Francis Ngannou.

Fury’s British promoter Frank Warren later said the December date was “unlikely” to be the first fight this century to unify all the major heavyweight boxing titles.

Usyk holds the IBF, WBA and WBO boxing belts, while Fury holds the WBC version of the heavyweight title. The last time Lennox Lewis won the undisputed heavyweight title was in 1999, when he defeated Evander Holyfield.

“I hope things work out, I hope this fight happens,” Usic, 36, said at Valencia’s training camp. Procrastination is not a problem for me. I am very satisfied.”

Usyk, whose country was invaded by Russia in February 2022, said his “motivation was not money.”

“I don’t care about material things. I think about the path I’m on,” he said.

In August, Usyk (21-0) defended against Daniel Dubois in Poland. The Ukrainian defeated Anthony Joshua for the heavyweight title in 2021 and defended it in a rematch in Saudi Arabia the following year.

Previous talks for a Fury-Usick fight collapsed in March, with Warren blaming the two sides on disagreements over the terms of the rematch. Usyk accepted Fury’s demand for a 70-30 share of the earnings in favor of the British fighter, but his promoter Alex Kraciuk accused Fury of putting further obstacles in the way of the deal.

Usyk isn’t worried about the potential insults from the 35-year-old Fury (34-0-1). Usyk, whose last name means “mustache” in Ukrainian, noticed a gap between his front teeth.

“I heard so many insults about myself that at some point I started to turn them around and see them as my accomplishments,” he said.

Regardless, there will be no hard feelings, he added.

“I love this incredible man,” she said. “I have no animosity towards him as a person. I just love people, including Tyson Fury.”