Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk exact rematch date announced before first fight

07 May 2024 , 07:47

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Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk exact rematch date announced before first fight

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have been told their second fight will be held in October - even though their first meeting hasn't yet taken place.

The two heavyweight world champions will clash in Saudi Arabia on May 18 to crown the division's first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. The fight has been delayed three times having originally been slated to take place last April at Wembley.

But after Fury requested the fight be moved from December to February, and then forced another postponement when he was cut, the rivals will finally touch gloves in Riyadh in 11 days' time. And they have already been told they will meet again in the Kingdom on October 12 or 13.

Boxing's new ringmaster Turki Alalshikh told ESPN of his plan and revealed Fury and Usyk - who are contracted to a second fight - could meet for a third time this year if they each win one of the first two fights. The winner would then go on to meet Anthony Joshua in March.

Joshua, meanwhile, will return to the ring at Wembley on September 20 or 21 against the winner of Daniel Dubois' clash with Filip Hrgovic on June 1. That fight will be for the IBF title which will be stripped from the winner of Fury vs Usyk as the mandatory defence is overdue.

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And ahead of his return to the ring, Fury finally admitted his respect for Usyk. "Oleksandr Usyk's a real bad man and to underestimate Usyk you'd be a mug," he told Queensberry Promotions. "So I'm training hard for him, I'm doing everything I can. I respect Usyk as a man. I respect his career as well - Olympic champion, undisputed cruiserweight champion, unified heavyweight champion.

"You have to respect that, I'm fighting the real deal. I'm looking forward to the challenge. He's a southpaw, he's got good footwork, good boxing ability, technically sound. He's proved he can mix it with the big heavyweights because he's beat Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.

"I'm messing with an elite fighter who's got more than boxing ability. He's stubborn and he wants to win like I do. All of the talent and attributes aside, it will come down to who wants it most on the night. If he wants it more than him, he'll win and if I want it more than him then I'll win. I just think my will and determination will be more than his on the night."

Martin Domin