Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight for the undisputed heavyweight title after the Brit maintained the cut

February 2, 2024, 17:57 GMT

Updated 25 minutes ago

image source, Getty Images

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Tyson Fury defeated former UFC champion Francis Ngannou on points in Riyadh in October

Tyson Fury's undisputed heavyweight title fight against Oleksandr Usyk has been postponed after the Brit suffered an “unusual” retirement in training.

Fury, 35, was injured during sparring on Friday at his training camp in Saudi Arabia in preparation for the February 17 fight in Riyadh.

The injury above Fury's right eye required “urgent medical attention” and “significant stitches.”

Fury is the WBC champion while Ukrainian Usyk, 37, holds the WBA, WBO and IBF belts.

Should the fight take place at a later date, the winner will be crowned the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.

Fury said he had been preparing for the game against Usyk for “so long” and was in “excellent shape”.

“I am sorry to everyone involved in this major event and I will work diligently towards the new date once the eye has healed,” he added.

Promoters Queensberry Promotions said once doctors assessed the cut they would have a “better idea of ​​the recovery period required”.

image source, Queensberry Promotions

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An official statement confirming the fight was postponed included a picture of Fury's cut

Morecambe-born Fury has won 34 fights with one draw since turning professional in 2008.

He had previously come under criticism for failing to reach an agreement with Usyk after a planned fight at London's Wembley Stadium fell through in April.

Saudi Arabia has poured millions of dollars into hosting major sporting events. Critics say the unprecedented spending is being used to boost the oil-producing kingdom's international reputation and distract from its human rights record and environmental impact.

However, Saudi Arabia's Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said in a recent interview with the ` that the claims about “sports laundry” were “very superficial” and stressed that the investment would boost the country's economy, open it up to tourism and the Encourage people to be more active.

Analysis – Is this just an obstacle for Fury vs. Usyk?

With just over two weeks to go, the majority of the media had already booked their flights and hotels for this fight.

This is boxing – injuries and cuts are always a danger and both teams will be interested in postponing the fight, perhaps for the summer. But what does this mean for the heavyweight landscape?

There are reports that Tyson Fury could be replaced by Croatian Filip Hrgovic, the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk's IBF belt.

Then we have Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou in Riyadh on March 9th. The Saudi organizers wanted the winner of this fight to fight for the undisputed title.

Maybe this is just a small bump in the road, but bureaucracy and politics have prevented big fights in recent years – fans have become used to disappointment and will be very pessimistic about seeing Fury vs Usyk.

This news shocked the sport; A huge blow to the hopes of millions of fans who were so desperate to find out who the best heavyweight in the world was.