- Negotiations for a heavyweight bout between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have stalled once again following a contract dispute over the location, with Joshua insisting on fighting in the UK while Fury pushes for Madison Square Garden in New York City.
- Amid the stalemate, Fury stated he intends to fight on 20 November regardless of the opponent and publicly challenged his former rival Oleksandr Usyk to a trilogy fight after accusing Joshua of being weak-minded.
- Usyk's trainer, Sergey Lapin, swiftly rejected Fury's call-out, clarifying to Sky Sports that the Ukrainian is not a back-up plan and urging Fury's team to submit a concrete offer rather than making public statements in the press.
- Usyk and Fury previously fought twice in 2024, with Usyk winning both bouts on points to hand Fury the only two professional defeats of his career.
- Having vacated his unified heavyweight titles following a controversial victory over kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven in May, the 39-year-old Usyk has stated he plans to compete just one last time before retiring.
IN FULL
Oleksandr Usyk snubs Tyson Fury as back-up plan to Anthony Joshua amid contract dispute
