Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are edging closer to agreeing terms for an undisputed world heavyweight title fight, according to promoter Frank Warren.
The two world heavyweight champions came head-to-head earlier this month at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium when Usyk came to ringside for a face-off with Fury. And Warren now says that they are at the stage of sending contracts for the first undisputed fight at heavyweight in over 20 years, in which the first man to hold four major belts in the division will be crowned.
Usyk is the unified WBA super, WBO and IBF champion, while Fury holds the WBC belt after giving up the others following his win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. The Ukrainian also has the less sought-after IBO title, as well as The Ring Magazine belt which Fury also voluntarily surrendered earlier this year.
"There's a big will to make this fight happen between both camps," Warren explained during an interview with IFL TV. "It's just a matter of where and how much. But absolutely they're good people to deal with and we're all pretty positive about getting it over the line.
"I said that about [Anthony] Joshua a few months ago so I don't want to tempt fate until it's signed it don't mean nothing as I always say. But at the moment everybody looks like they want it to happen, especially the fighters and it's a great fight, a big fight..."
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Warren expects the fight to take place within the early part of next year, with Usyk's team having previously set a deadline of March 4. They are in talks with a number of potential host countries in the Middle East, but Fury's American promoter Bob Arum reckons that it could also end up at Wembley Stadium.
"The date will probably be in March," Warren continued. "That's basically where we're at, early March. But no location has been finalised, once we get the fight done then the rest will just fall into place, we're still negotiating as to the site but until we've got the fight done then we've got nothing. Let's get the fight done and then get to where it's going to take place. You never know, it could take place at Wembley.
"I'm confident that the people we're dealing with in Alex [Krassyuk] and Igis [Klimas] as well as Bob Arum that we're all of the same mind and of the same opinion of getting this on. I'm quite confident that we can get it on, but it's got to be signed and we are moving in the right direction, at least. We've got a contract being issued."
