Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk is the biggest fight in boxing right now, and surely it has to happen next.
A showdown between the pair would crown the sport’s first undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis back in 1999. Too often boxing politics has stood in the way, but hopefully not any more.
Usyk’s split-decision victory over Anthony Joshua in their rematch in Saudi Arabia in August 2022 set him up for this showdown, and after Fury defeated Dereck Chisora in their trilogy in December there should be no more obstacles in the way.
When is Fury vs Usyk
Going into Fury vs Chisora 3, all the reports were that a Fury vs Usyk unification match was all but booked in for late February or early March 2023.
Now though it looks likely the massive fight will be delayed with Fury saying after that Chisora win that he needs elbow surgery, and would take 6-8 weeks to heal. It’s likely that would see a Usyk fight push back towards the summer of 2023.
Fury vs Usyk on TV: channel and live stream details
This is normally the blocker for a ton of big fights – often fighters have different promoters, which mean they are aligned to different TV networks. You get the picture. Hopefully in this case we don’t have that problem.
Fury’s fights in the U.S. have been airing on ESPN, courtesy of a huge deal ‘The Gypsy King’ signed with the Worldwide Leader. He fights on the BT Sport Box Office platform in the UK.
Usyk it appears is not tied to any network, though all of his recent fights have appeared on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN elsewhere.
At this stage the smart money would be on BT Sport and ESPN getting the important rights.
Fury vs Usyk venue and tickets
It already appears a given that this showdown will take place in Saudi Arabia – like Usyk’s rematch with Joshua and Joshua’s second fight with Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2019.
The Saudis were ready to put up a massive $155million site fee to host a Fury vs Joshua showdown last summer (that never happened of course) and reports suggest a similar sum is available for this fight.
At this stage any hope of British fans being able to watch Fury bid to become the undisputed king on home turf are likely to be scuppered.
What is at stake in Fury vs Usyk?
Literally everything in the heavyweight division – like we said this bout would crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since another Brit Lennox Lewis back in 1999.
The current state of play is this:
- Fury is the WBC and lineal champion.
- Usyk is the IBF, WBA, WBO and Ring magazine champion.
All of those belts would be on the line for Fury vs Usyk.
Here is a full rundown on the current picture when it comes to world heavyweight champions
Fury vs Usyk odds
Usyk was brilliant yet again as he defeated Joshua for a second time, but he’s very much the underdog here at odds of 6/4.
Fury is a 1/2 betting favourite while the Draw – never a bad option in huge fights – is a best-priced 20/1.
Fury vs Usyk weights
The weigh-in for a Fury vs Usyk fight would take place 24 hours before the fight, at the fight venue.
Fury would likely have an enormous size advantage over Usyk – he weighed a massive 277lbs (19st 11lbs) for his trilogy fight vs Deontay Wilder in October 2021.
Usyk meanwhile is a heavyweight built in the Evander Holyfield mode – he normally hovers around 220lbs (15st 10lbs) and weighed 221.5 for the Joshua rematch.
So we will have a weight disparity of between three and four stones if and when these two do eventually meet inside a boxing ring. Fury of course has huge height and reach advantages too – more on those to come.
Tyson Fury record
Tyson Luke Fury, born August 12, 1988 and now 34 years old, has an unbeaten professional boxing record which currently stands at 33-0-1. A total of thirty-four fights with 33 victories, no defeats and one draw. Some 24 of those victories have come inside distance.
Fury, who stands 6ft 9ins tall (2.06m), is a physical freak who has incredible speed and boxing ability to match his size. A very very unusual and potent mix. He also has a reach of 85ins (2.16m).
The British star has arguable gotten better and better throughout his fighting career. He first reached the top of the heavyweight mountain by dethroning the great Wladimir Klitschko in Germany in 2015. It was a spectacular strategy boxing display from Fury, who completely befuddled the long-time champion en route to a points victory.
After that though Fury descended into the depths of despair as mental health problems led him to the brink of suicide. He ballooned to more than 400lbs in weight and spent almost three years out of the ring. The odds of even a comeback at that stage seemed very very long.
Come back he did though, and within months he was fighting the feared WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder for the title in Los Angeles in December 2018. Fury boxed brilliantly and despite being knocked down twice most judges felt he was unlucky not to get the victory. It was scored a draw – the only blemish on Fury’s pro ledger to date.
The rematch with Wilder was a complete rout as Fury, coming in heavier, was more aggressive under the tutelage of new trainer and Kronk disciple Javan ‘Sugarhill’ Steward. He bullied and battered ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to a stoppage defeat inside seven one-sided rounds in Las Vegas in February 2020.
Fury was then lined up for huge all-British showdown vs Anthony Joshua, but a legal challenge from Wilder scuppered that and instead Tyson lined up for a trilogy bout vs Deontay in Vegas in October 2021. It was an epic slugfest and Fury himself was on the canvas twice in Round 4 but recovered to stop the American in Round 11.
A homecoming for Fury was next, as he packed Wembley Stadium in London with more than 90,000 fans for an all-British title defence vs Dillian Whyte. It was a very one-sided affair as Fury dominated for all six rounds before landing the KO punch with a beautiful uppercut which put Dillian to sleep.
In his most recent outing, Fury stayed busy with a dominant 1oth-round stoppage victory over the brave but overmatched Dereck Chisora in London.
Oleksandr Usyk record
Oleksandr Usyk has dreamed for a long time of being an undisputed world champion at cruiserweight AND heavyweight. He is just one fight away from achieving that incredible goal.
The Ukrainian maestro, born in Simferopol on January 17, 1987 and now 35 years old, has built a perfect professional record of 20-0 – some 20 fights with 20 victories, 13 of which have come inside distance. He is much smaller than Fury of course, standing 6ft 3ins tall (1.91m) with a reach of 78ins (1.98m).
Usyk was always set for pro stardom after a glittering career which brought an amazing 335-15 record and an Olympic gold medal at London 2012.
After turning pro Usyk was an absolute monster at cruiserweight, claiming a world title in only his 10th professional fight by outpointing Krzysztof Glowacki in Poland in September 2016.
After that Usyk continued to assume the mantle of road warrior, beating the likes of Mairis Briedis, Marco Huck, Michael Hunter, Murat Gassiev and Tony Bellew in huge fights – all in his opponent’s back yard. Incredible.
After unifying the belts at cruiser with a faultless shutout vs Gassiev in Moscow in 2018, Usyk decided to move up to heavy to chase his destiny in boxing’s marquee weight class. He began with an easy stoppage of Chazz Witherspoon, and then withstood a game effort from Dereck Chisora to claim a points victory. Now it was time for a title bid.
Usyk, mandatory challenger for the WBO title held by Anthony Joshua, challenged AJ in front of more than 60,000 British fans at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021. He produced a virtuoso performance to easily outpoint the defending IBF, WBA and WBO champion and almost stopped him in a one-sided 12th and final round.
The rematch with Joshua was a tougher assignment, in Jeddah in Saudi Arabi in August 2022. Joshua was much improved from the first fight and took Usyk to deep waters in Round 9 of what up to that point was a close fight.
At this moment though Usyk showed his incredible fighting heart as well as his ability to dominate the final three rounds and pull out a split decision.
We should not really have expected anything else from a man who put his boxing career on hold in early 2022 to join up for the war effort as Ukraine defended against the Russian invasion.
Usyk was an absolute monster at cruiser – just destroying allcomers – and while heavy is a tougher challenge he has so far passed every test with flying colours.
Bar that Round 9 vs AJ and a close fight with Mairis Briedis at 200lbs, it’s tough to believe he has ever been in danger of losing a professional fight. He is that good.
Fury vs Usyk undercard
Okay so before we can even think about an undercard, we need a confirmed fight – signed, sealed and delivered. We’ll update on the undercard after that happens. First things first fight fans.
