Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will do battle in Saudi Arabia on February 17 for the undisputed heavyweight title.
Fury will put his WBC belt on the line in Riyadh, while Usyk will risk his WBA, WBO and IBF titles as the pair look to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999 and the first to hold all four belts.
The fight was originally planned to take place on December 23, but Fury’s unexpectedly challenging encounter with MMA star Francis Ngannou last month meant the date was pushed back.
The pair will finally meet in February, both looking to retain their undefeated status and bounce back from below-par performances last time out, with Fury edging past boxing debutant Ngannou on a split decision while Usyk overcame controversy to beat Daniel Dubois.
The highly anticipated, undisputed clash is finally confirmed #RingOfFire | 17.02.24 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/q3f0wdBfFW
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) November 16, 2023
Usyk has already achieved undisputed status at cruiserweight, unifying the four belts in 2018, before making a splash at heavyweight by beating Anthony Joshua twice, the second win coming in Saudi Arabia.
Fury is a two-time heavyweight champion having overcome long-time titlist Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, before three years out of the ring saw him flirt with retirement. He returned in 2018, drawing with WBC belt-holder Deontay Wilder before stopping him in the second fight of their epic trilogy to become champion again.
At the press conference to announce the fight in London, Fury told his Ukrainian opponent: “Usyk, you can run, but The Gypsy King is coming to get you. This is my era, and your time is up. Your undefeated record and your belts, they will be mine.”
Usyk retorted with: “I have no goal, only the way. And my way is the undisputed. That is why this was the only fight for me. When that bell rings, I will bring the fire.”
