Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk guaranteed huge purse if other fighter pulls out
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have been guaranteed a huge payout if the other pulls out of their rescheduled bout.
The unification fight between the duo had first been set for December 23, but that was pushed back to February after Fury struggled against MMA fighter Francis Ngannou. It was then forced back again when Fury sustained an injury in a sparring session.
The 35-year-old was left needing 11 stitches after being elbowed in the eye on Friday. The fight has now been set for May 18, but this looks likely to be the final time it will be postponed.
Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Entertainment, revealed there will be a £10million charge for pulling out again. If that does happen, the Saudi state will bring in another big name to compete.
"We’ve delayed this fight until May 18, I’ve guaranteed both fighters 10 million if someone has escaped the fight. I also guarantee another big fight on the same night. I will make fans around the world know if someone is scared for this fight," he said.
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"If Usyk is scared I will call for Joshua. Tyson, if Tyson is scared I will call for another fighter that Usyk wants. I don’t want them to fight in front of the fans but on the 18th May we will have an answer."
Though he has been criticised for pulling out of the February date, Fury is adamant he still wanted to fight. Fury revealed he was taken to hospital after the incident, which happened during a sparring session on Friday.
Fury postponed the February date for the bout after sustaining an injury in a sparring session (Zac Goodwin/PA Wire)"Yesterday morning sparring, arranged to spar 12 rounds with four different guys in round five I got an elbow in the eye, been to the hospital and got 11 stitches - nothing much anything can do about cut in sparring, s*** happens," Fury told the MMA Hour.
"I was very disappointed, I've been in Saudi Arabia five weeks training and everything was going fantastic. It’s a cut that you can’t help and these things happen in camp sometimes. There's nothing that anybody can do, It’s god's will."
Usyk responded to Fury's comment with amusement. The Ukrainian said: "My reaction was just to smile, I am training after my sparring my team told me that Tyson fury was cut. After that, I just smiled and went back to training."
Fury fired back at suggestions he wanted the fight postponed, saying: "Why would I not want to fight if I've had, I've put 10 weeks into my last for the biggest training camp? You're a rat piece of s*** never had a fight in your life, calling me a coward you rat b*****."
Fury has been assured he will be fit to take on Usyk in May despite his injury. And the quick move to reschedule the clash has put an end to Usyk’s attempts to arrange a fight with Croatian Filip Hrgovic in the now vacant February date.
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