Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk seem to be keen on finally having an undisputed world heavyweight title fight now that there is no red tape between the pair.
The Brit holds the WBC world heavyweight title, while Usyk has the WBO, IBF and WBA super belts, as well as the less-favoured IBO title and the more ceremonial The Ring Magazine belt. There is a belief that a bout between the pair would finally prove once and for all who the best heavyweight of the era is, particularly after they both twice beat Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua respectively.
Fury has been claiming to be retired since defeating Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium earlier this year, but appeared keen to fight Usyk in a video this weekend, presuming the money is right. He has previously claimed he wants around £500million to return, and while Saudi Arabian financing might not hit that magic number, there will certainly be a massive pot available for this bout.
Talks are already underway, with Usyk not currently tied to a major TV deal or partnership with any particular venue or conflicting sponsor to Fury. Both sides have indicated that the deal will be relatively easy to make given the money on offer and their respective relationships.
Here's what we know so far about a possible Fury vs Usyk undisputed title fight...
What date will Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk be?
The current working date in Saudi Arabia is December 17, although they are really looking for any date between December and February. The world cup final in Qatar's Lusail City will take place the following day, just a seven hour drive away, so if England are in the final, it could be a wild couple of days.
What time will Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk likely start in the UK?
There have been two really major events in Saudi Arabia of this nature, and they have both taken place relatively close to prime time in the UK, much unlike most Fury's last few Stateside fights. Anthony Joshua's rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr saw ring walks take place around 9pm UK time or 11pm local, while the Usyk bout was two hours later, likely to try and sell better to a US audience on DAZN.
What TV channel will the fight be on and will I be able to stream it?
BT Sport Box Office will almost certainly host this fight, given Fury's exclusive broadcasting deal with the network. However, Skills Challenge in Saudi Arabia, who put on these events, generally like to include the international broadcast rights in their big money packages. If it is to end up on BT Sport Box Office, the price would probably end up around £25, or at most £27.
Fans in America would probably end up watching on ESPN pay-per-view, which will be quite a bit more costly than Usyk vs Joshua 2 which was on DAZN as part of the subscription. The cost for these events is generally in the region of $80.
Who is likely to be on the undercard?
There's going to be a ridiculous amount of money spent making sure the main event takes place, so don't expect a stacked undercard. Fans were outraged with the offering from Queensberry Promotions for Fury vs Whyte back in April, with the penultimate fight of the night being a British, Commonwealth and European title fight between Ekow Essuman and Darren Tetley.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Tommy Fury back on the card, although the likelihood that his fight will be one that interests fans such as Jake Paul is slim. Expect to see Isaac Lowe involved, as well as possibly some Top Rank fighters who they are trying to showcase.
The Saudis will likely want the likes of Nico Ali Walsh involved due to his grandfather Muhammad Ali's legacy. They could also give YouTube star Rashed 'Money Kicks' Belhasa another chance after he lost his debut on the Usyk vs Joshua 2 card.
Quotes corner
Tyson Fury: "I've just seen Joshua lose for the second time to Usyk, [he was] out of his depth'. England has been relieved of its belts but there is a remedy and solution that I can suggest. If you want those belts back then send in the Gyspy barbarian; send me in and I will relieve the Ukrainian dosser of his belts like I did the last Ukrainian dosser.
"But it's not going to be cheap, if you want the best you have to pay. It's going to be very expensive; so get your chequebook out and I will relieve the Ukrainian dosser of the belts."
Oleksandr Usyk: "I'm sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet, I'm convinced he wants to fight me, I want to fight him and if I'm not fighting Tyson Fury I'm not fighting. Only God knows whether I will or not.
