A popular American lawyer and boxing promoter, Bob Arum, has said a new date for the undisputed heavyweight fight between Tyson ‘Gypsy King’ Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will be announced on Thursday in London. .
In September, Fury and Usyk put pen to paper for an undisputed heavyweight fight scheduled for December 23 in Saudi Arabia. But after Fury’s fight with Francis Ngannou last month, a new date was mooted for February next year.
Arum, who is the founder and CEO of Top Rank, Fury’s promoter, in an interview with Sky Sports News on Wednesday, said a new date for the bout would be announced on Thursday at a press conference in London.
“I can confirm they will fight each other in Saudi Arabia,” Mr Arum said. “There will be a press conference in London, Thursday of this week, and they’ll confirm the date and all the other circumstances about the fight taking place. But yes, the fight will be taking place.”
Fury was dropped on the canvas in the third round, had a cut on his forehead and a welt under one of his eyes but fought his way to victory via split decision against Ngannou, a mixed martial artist making a professional boxing debut, in a 10-round non-title heavyweight bout.
Mr Arum said Fury “is ready to fight in February, if that’s when it happens. Going in with Ngannou, who showed himself to be very talented, nobody had a book on him because he never had a prize fight.
“Fighting Usyk is totally different because they have reams and reams of film on Usyk. I think Tyson will be a lot better prepared against Usyk than he was against Ngannou. I have great confidence in Tyson Fury. He’s a great competitor and he’ll be at his best against Usyk.
The long awaited bout would see Fury and Usyk trade punches in battle for supremacy in Saudi Arabia. Both men are coming into the fight with sterling career records.
Thirty-five-year-old Fury since he turned professional in 2008 has remained unbeaten, winning 33 fights and drawing just one. Twenty four of Fury’s victories were via knock out.
Usyk also has remained unbeaten in all 21 fights in his professional career, winning 14 via knock out.