Tyson Fury has warned Oleksandr Usyk that he will take legal action if their undisputed heavyweight title fight doesn’t happen this year.
The pair are set to unify the heavyweight division for the first time in the four-belt era with a big money deal in Saudi Arabia. The date for the fight could be as early as December 23 during Riyadh Season, giving Fury less than two months between bouts, with the 35-year-old taking on MMA star Francis Ngannou this weekend.
Despite multiple setbacks over the past two years, Fury is eager to get the fight underway. “Usyk’s a sausage,” the Gypsy King told Sky Sports. “I expect it to be taking place in December, that’s what I’ve been told, so I’ve got no reason to disbelieve it.
“Usyk has to fight me in December, doesn’t have a choice. He signed the contract, so if he doesn’t, he’s breached contract and he gets sued. So he doesn’t really have a choice.”
The contest would see both fighter pick up a hefty sum of money, marking the highlight of the Riyadh Season which kicks off this weekend with Fury vs Ngannou. Even Anthony Joshua is keen to join in, hinting at a potential fight with Deontay Wilder that could act as a semi-final for a title tournament.
“If they get this undisputed fight on, which has been looming for a while, word on the street is that it’s supposed to be the undisputed fighters,” Joshua shared with Sky Sports last week. “And then the undercard is supposed to be a big, lively one with me and Wilder.”
“But, in the meantime, we’re going to be active this year. I’ve set my goals three times this year, and I’m still potentially going to get a fight in [before the end of the year]. End this year on a high, God willing, and then move onto the next year and go out there and kick some more behind.”
However, Fury doesn’t seem too keen on the idea, responding to the broadcaster that Joshua is simply “out in the cold. Frozen.” He later added: “They’re both out in the cold and they’re both frozen so it doesn’t really matter.”
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