November 08, (THEWILL) – Oleksandr Usyk has revealed he is targeting a heavyweight unification bout with Tyson Fury in February 2024. The pair had originally planned to fight on December 23 but Fury was left battered after going the distance with Francis Ngannou last month, leading to a postponement.
Usyk, who holds the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight belts, signed a contract with WBC champion Fury in September for a highly-anticipated showdown. Their meeting would crown the first undisputed heavyweight king since Lennox Lewis in 1999. However, Fury’s gruelling battle with MMA star Ngannou in Riyadh on November 26 has pushed the timeline back.
Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, stated governing bodies have given the green light for the fight to take place in early 2024. Speaking this week, Usyk confirmed he is deep in training camp and hopes to step in the ring with Fury sometime in February. While disappointed at the delay, the Ukrainian remains solely fixed on dethroning Fury.
“I was ready to fight on the 23rd but since Fury got some injuries in the last fight, a knockdown, then probably it will be postponed to next year,” said Usyk.
“I’ll just do more technical work. Technically, nothing changes. I just have a little more time for some additional tasks, and that’s it.” All eyes will be on the duo when they finally clash early next year.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
