28 October 2023 , 11:00
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Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to clash two days before Christmas - as long as Fury comes through his fight with Francis Ngannou unscathed.
Fury and fellow world champion Usyk have been at loggerheads for almost a year as they traded trash talk, but not signatures, ahead of a potential undisputed clash. An April date came and went with Usyk instead taking on, and stopping, Daniel Dubois while Fury chased his crossover clash with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
But just weeks before he was due to take on the ferocious puncher from Cameroon, Fury announced a deal had been reached with Usyk - and they could fight as soon as December 23. Indeed, Usyk will be ringside in Riyadh tonight and could face off with Fury in the ring, just as he did in London almost 11 months ago after the Brit had dispatched Derek Chisora in their unwanted trilogy bout.
Fury, however, insists the potential prize of holding all four belts won’t distract him from his task in hand. "I don’t want to look forward anywhere, I’m only looking forward to tomorrow and that’s it,” Fury said. “(After Saturday’s fight) I’m going to take a week off, I don’t want to hear from anyone about boxing, let me have some time with my family then I’ll come and take on the little guy (Usyk)."
Fury and Usyk came face to face last night as they both attended a Gala Dinner ahead of the Brit's showdown with Ngannou. Fury hugged his rival before the Ukrainian lifted up the giant heavyweight as they counted down the hours until they could finally announce their bout.
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Usyk said of Fury's fight with Ngannou: "There will be no nerves. It's not my fight and when it is my fight, I'm not nervous. I'm relaxed. [If he breaks his hand] he will box with one. And of suggestions he won't have a long enough training camp, Usyk added: "The translation was incorrect. I was asked a question, how long is my usual training camp.
"But people think I need 14 weeks to fight on December 23 which is not right, can you imagine how tired I would be after 14 weeks of training? I am ready; December 23, the undisputed fght with Tyson Fury. I have been working to this point for almost 20 years."