Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk “agree” to fight for the Blockbuster Heavyweight Unification Championship, says promoter Bob Arum, with Britain still in the running to host the bout – and an announcement could come “by the end of the year”.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have agreed to face each other next in the ring in a highly anticipated unification bout.
According to Bob Arum, who co-promotes The Gypsy King alongside the UK-based Queensbury Promotions, the heavyweights will be battling for the title of Unified Heavyweight Champion.
Usyk’s manager had claimed the fight could take place on March 4 and Fury remains adamant he will ‘knock out’ the Ukrainian heavyweight when they meet next year.
Tyson Fury (R) has reportedly agreed to fight Oleksandr Usyk next in a heavyweight unification bout
Sky Sports report that both fighters are keen to see the fight and neither will accept another fight until they face each other in the ring.
“The two fighters have agreed to fight each other next,” Arum told Sky Sports.
“With Fury and Usyk we are dealing with two adults, not many [rubbish] Back and forth.
Ukrainian fighter Usyk is the current carrier of WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts
“Usyk is a good friend of mine, he is very intelligent and Tyson is Superman, both as an athlete and as an intellect.
“So they want the fight. Both want the fight and so there will be very little, if any, [messing] around. So we’ll work it out.
“I’m very, very confident. As I said, the fighters have agreed to fight each other next with no intervening bouts.’
Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk has claimed the fight is set to take place in early 2023
An exact date and location for the fight – which will see the division unified for the first time since Lennox Lewis in 1999 – has yet to be decided, although both fighters are keen for the fight to take place in early 2023.
The Ukrainian’s manager claimed that the collision shouldn’t take place later than March 4, adding that the sooner the fight comes “the better”.
Arum added that a venue has yet to be decided for what is sure to be a hugely lucrative encounter, with strong prospects from the Middle East and Great Britain set to host the event.
The two stared at each other after Fury’s win over compatriot Derek Chisora
If the fight took place in the UK, Wembley would be the likeliest destination, with Fury’s fight earlier this year with Dillian Whyte taking place at the football stadium.
He has also taken to the canvas at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when he faced fellow countryman Derek Chisora in December, who the Gypsy King claims is far tougher than Usyk.
A fight in the Middle East would likely provide the two fighters with much bigger fight money and Arum admitted the bigger reward could be hard to ignore, despite Wembley having their own draws.
Bob Arum suggested that the money fighters in the Middle East might be making would be hard to turn down
“Going back to Wembley and fighting for me in front of 95,000 people really gets the blood pumping.
“It would be crazy. It would just be wonderful.”
“We’ll arrange everything,” Arum added. “I hope maybe by the end of the year.”
A date and location for the highly anticipated fight has yet to be determined by both parties