Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk to face Tyson Fury on 18 May

A fight between Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk and British boxer Tyson Fury which was originally set to take place on 17 February has been rescheduled to 18 May.

Source: Suspilne.Sport, citing Queensberry Promotions, which represents Tyson Fury

Details: The fight’s venue has not changed: it will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Usyk and Fury will battle it out for the title of absolute champion, the first in the heavyweight division since 1999.

The fight in Riyadh is being organised by Turki Al Al-Sheikh, Chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Authority for Entertainment.

During a live broadcast with Fury and Usyk, Al al-Sheikh said that a new detail had emerged in the terms of the fight: if either of the boxers is unable to take part in the fight on 18 May, he will have to pay US$10 million compensation to the other.

Quote from Al al-Sheikh: "This is our last attempt to hold the fight; I have set the date: 18 May. I have guarantees from both boxers: 10 million [US dollars]. If one of them refuses to fight [his opponent will receive the money]. This isn’t our 10 million, we’re just the guarantors. These are 10 millions from their personal funds."

Details: The fight between Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, his British rival for the four main super heavyweight world champion titles, has been on the agenda since 2022. The sides failed to agree the terms of the fight in early 2023, but eventually reached an agreement and signed the respective contracts in September of that year.

The fight was planned for December 2023. It was postponed until 17 February 2024 after Fury’s hard-won victory over former UFC promotion fighter Francis Ngannou in late October, but an injury Fury suffered during a training session forced him to postpone the fight again.

The media reported that Usyk’s representatives had tried to find out if there was someone else Usyk could fight on 17 February. Undefeated Filip Hrgovic, mandatory challenger to Usyk's IBF belt, said he was prepared to fight with Usyk, but the organisers eventually decided to postpone Usyk’s fight with Fury for three months.

At his last fight in August 2023, Usyk beat mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, knocking him out in the ninth round. This was his fifth victory in the super-heavyweight division and his 21st in a row in his professional career.

Previously: On 2 February, it transpired that a fight between Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, his British rival for the four main super heavyweight world champion titles, would not be held as planned on 17 February.

Egis Klimas, Usyk’s manager, called Fury a coward after he postponed their long-awaited fight due to a training injury.

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