Tyson Fury was served his first defeat at the hands of the now-undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk this past weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As per the contract, the Brit has a right to run it back.
Usyk started strongly in the contest, controlling the pace and finding success in working Fury into the corner. ‘The Gypsy King’ took momentum in the middle rounds, finding a home for uppercuts that threatened to wobble the smaller man from Ukraine.
It was, as has happened many times in his career, just fuel for the fire of Usyk, who managed to bite down and take back control. This culminated in a sensational ninth round that saw Fury severely dazed and dropped.
The split-decision win for Usyk awarded him his fourth heavyweight belt, making him the division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis. Post-fight, he said he welcomed the second fight as per the contract.
It was the usually-cocksure Fury who was more subdued. He said at his press conference that he would rest, recuperate and discuss his next move with his team. Whilst he certainly didn’t dismiss the rematch, he clearly felt there were other options to look at.
With a few days to think it over, it appears he is now set on activating his second crack at Usyk. Promoter Frank Warren told TalkSPORT that the plan was to push ahead with the slated date of October 12.
‼️ Tyson Fury has now confirmed that he will take the Oleksandr Usyk rematch next, Frank Warren has revealed. He said they will push ahead with plans for the second fight to take place in October in Saudi Arabia. [@talkSPORT] pic.twitter.com/3Yrka57YxU
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) May 21, 2024
Unfortunately for the Morecambe man, Usyk is expected to be stripped of the IBF World Title in the coming weeks, meaning a rematch won’t be for the coveted status of undisputed.
