Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk confirmed for December or January

Saudi Arabia will play host to the mega-fight after the two world champions finally signed contracts for their much talked about undisputed showdown.

The news means the blue-riband division could now crown its first ever four-belt champion and its first fully unified title holder since 1999 when Lennox Lewis cemented his legacy with a stunning victory over Evander Holyfield.

Negotiators for both Tyson Fury (2/5) and Oleksandr Usyk (2/1) have been locked in discussions for almost 12 months hoping to agree terms for what many have described as the biggest fight in world boxing history.

But with Fury’s reluctance to split the purse evenly with the Ukrainian, and a cash-laden event in the Middle East during the spring off the cards, the blockbuster bout was left hanging precariously in the balance.

However, after seemingly reaching yet another impasse following a succession of previous stumbling blocks, Fury’s lopsided 70-30 purse offer was sensationally accepted by Usyk with the stipulation that £1M would have to be donated to his country - although the plug was then pulled on that offer following further dialogue.

But, an agreement has FINALLY been struck, meaning fight fans can look forward to a mammoth Christmas or New Year showdown, providing Fury, of course, suffers no hiccups in his upcoming bout with MMA star Francis Ngannou.

“I'm delighted to finally get this fight signed,” said Hall of Fame Promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions. 

“This is the biggest fight that could possibly be made in our sport. The heavyweights always spark the imagination of the fans, and I have no doubt this will be the biggest boxing event of the century. I look forward to Tyson reclaiming the three belts that he never lost in the ring. Huge thanks to His Excellency and the GEA.”

“Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are the two greatest heavyweights of their generation, and I can’t wait to see what happens when they step into the ring in Riyadh. They are special talents worthy of competing for the greatest prize in sports,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. 

“I would like to thank His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and everyone involved in helping make this legendary night a reality.”
 

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Mark Mothershaw

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