Usyk vs Fury: New Twist in His Final Fight Plans
Oleksandr Usyk has unexpectedly reignited speculation about a third fight with Tyson Fury after responding to the former heavyweight champion’s latest callout. The development has created fresh uncertainty over who Usyk could face in what may be the final fight of his professional career.
For some time, Deontay Wilder had appeared to be the leading candidate for Usyk’s farewell bout. Reports indicated that discussions for a possible fight in the United States in March 2027 had progressed, with Usyk’s adviser Serhii Lapin previously identifying Wilder as a major target.
However, the situation changed after negotiations for Tyson Fury’s proposed blockbuster against Anthony Joshua became complicated. Disagreements over the location of the fight reportedly contributed to the uncertainty, with Fury’s side favoring a major American event while Joshua’s team preferred the United Kingdom.
With the Joshua fight facing problems, Fury turned his attention toward Usyk and publicly called for another meeting between the two former champions.
Usyk then responded with a short but provocative message, appearing to welcome the possibility of fighting Fury again. His response immediately sparked excitement among boxing fans and raised questions about whether a trilogy could replace the previously discussed Wilder bout.
Usyk and Fury have already fought twice, with the Ukrainian winning both encounters in 2024. Usyk took the first contest by split decision before securing another victory in their rematch by unanimous decision.
A third fight would therefore give Fury an opportunity to try to finally defeat the only fighter who has beaten him twice. For Usyk, meanwhile, it would represent a chance to settle the rivalry once and for all.
Despite the excitement, there is currently no official agreement for Fury vs. Usyk III. A social-media exchange does not constitute a signed contract, and several important factors—including financial terms, venue, timing and promotional arrangements—would still need to be resolved.
The article also makes clear that reports suggesting Wilder has already been completely removed from Usyk’s plans may be premature. Wilder remains strongly linked to Usyk’s proposed farewell fight, and previous reports indicated that negotiations for a March 2027 meeting in the United States had reached an advanced stage.
Wilder would make sense as an opponent because Usyk has already defeated Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury twice. The American former WBC champion is one of the major heavyweight names from that era whom Usyk has never faced.
However, Wilder’s recent career has been inconsistent. He suffered defeats against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang before recovering with a split-decision victory over Derek Chisora. Questions remain about whether he still possesses the devastating knockout power that made him one of the division’s most feared punchers.
A third Fury fight would present a different challenge. Both fighters know each other extremely well after sharing 24 rounds in their previous encounters. Fury could once again attempt to use his size, reach and physical strength to make the fight uncomfortable, while Usyk would likely rely on his movement, timing, angles and ability to attack from unexpected positions.
Age could also become an important factor. Usyk, Fury and Wilder are all veteran heavyweights now, meaning any future fight could look very different from their previous performances. Usyk has already indicated that he is approaching the final stage of his career after giving up his major heavyweight titles.
That leaves him with two very different possibilities. Fighting Wilder could give him a fresh challenge and provide a fitting conclusion to his career. Facing Fury again, however, would bring back one of the biggest unfinished rivalries in modern heavyweight boxing.
From a commercial standpoint, a Fury-Usyk trilogy would be extremely attractive. Their first two fights generated enormous interest because of their contrasting styles, personalities, undefeated records and championship status. Fury would also have a powerful personal motivation: attempting to finally defeat Usyk after two losses.
Still, Usyk’s team will ultimately have to decide whether the opportunity is worth changing his existing plans. The Ukrainian has already accomplished almost everything possible in boxing. He became undisputed at cruiserweight, became undisputed at heavyweight, defeated Joshua twice and defeated Fury twice.
His next decision is therefore less about collecting another championship and more about determining how he wants his legacy to end.
If Usyk chooses Wilder, he could close the chapter with one of the most dangerous punchers of his generation. If he chooses Fury, he would reopen one of the biggest rivalries of his career. Another possibility is that he could fight Wilder first and then reconsider retirement.
For now, Wilder has not officially been removed from the picture. But Fury’s latest challenge and Usyk’s response have clearly changed the conversation.
The heavyweight division appeared to be moving toward a Usyk-Wilder farewell fight. Now, Tyson Fury has suddenly returned to the equation, creating another major twist in the closing stages of Usyk’s career.
Nothing has been officially finalized yet, but the door to a third Usyk-Fury fight appears to have opened again—and boxing fans will be watching closely to see whether the two former champions actually walk through it.
