Tyson Fury Turns to Oleksandr Usyk After Anthony Joshua Fight Hits Another Roadblock
Tyson Fury has shifted his attention to Oleksandr Usyk after the long-awaited heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua was thrown into further doubt.
Fury claimed that the proposed fight with Joshua was no longer happening and publicly challenged Usyk to a third meeting. The British heavyweight expressed frustration over the continuing uncertainty surrounding his planned November bout with Joshua and suggested that Joshua was unwilling to commit to the fight.
The biggest obstacle in the negotiations has reportedly been the location of the contest. Joshua’s agreement requires the fight to take place in the United Kingdom, while there has been strong interest in staging the event at Madison Square Garden in New York. The disagreement over the venue has prevented the highly anticipated British heavyweight clash from being officially finalized.
Fury has become increasingly vocal about the situation. He accused Joshua of being unwilling to fight him and argued that the prolonged negotiations had left him with little choice but to consider another opponent.
That led Fury back to a familiar name: Usyk.
The former heavyweight champion called on the Ukrainian to face him again in November. Fury acknowledged that Usyk had already beaten him twice in 2024, but insisted that he was willing to settle the rivalry with a third fight.
Usyk, however, does not appear interested in simply becoming a replacement opponent.
His manager, Sergey Lapin, rejected the idea of Usyk serving as Fury’s backup plan. Lapin said that if Fury genuinely wants another fight with Usyk, he should present a serious and concrete offer rather than relying on public statements and social-media callouts.
The situation is particularly interesting because Usyk has already defeated Fury twice. Their first encounter ended with Usyk winning by decision to become undisputed heavyweight champion, while the Ukrainian also won their rematch later in 2024. Fury has therefore never beaten Usyk professionally.
Usyk’s future is also uncertain. The Ukrainian recently vacated his heavyweight titles and has indicated that he intends to have another major fight before eventually bringing his career to an end. His team had previously suggested that another Fury fight was not a priority after Usyk had already beaten him twice.
Meanwhile, Joshua’s camp has disputed Fury’s suggestion that the British fighter has simply walked away. Eddie Hearn has maintained that Joshua remains committed to the contest and that contractual and venue issues are at the center of the delay. Joshua has also returned to training while waiting for the situation to be resolved.
For now, the Fury-Joshua blockbuster remains uncertain rather than officially dead. Fury appears ready to move on if an agreement cannot be reached, while Joshua’s camp continues to push for the fight to happen under acceptable conditions in the UK.
And if Fury does genuinely abandon the Joshua fight, Usyk is the opponent he wants next. But Usyk’s team has made it clear: a social-media challenge is not enough — Fury would need to make a serious offer.
