Sources: Fury, Usyk sign deal for winter clash

According to various sources, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have agreed to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship in Saudi Arabia. Contracts have been signed.

According to sources, the battle might occur on Dec. 23 or at some point in January. Before that, Fury will have to complete his assignment against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia on ESPN+ pay-per-view without getting injured.

The upcoming match between Fury and Usyk is significant in boxing history as it will determine the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era. The meeting between these two exceptional heavyweights is a rarity as they are both recognized as some of the best pound-for-pound fighters globally, with Usyk ranked at No. 3 and Fury at No. 6.

Fury, who is the champion of the WBC, and Usyk, who possesses the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles, were discussing having a fight in April at Wembley Stadium in London. However, discussions came to a halt at the last minute due to a breakdown in negotiations.

Usyk, who has a record of 21 wins and 14 knockouts, successfully defended his WBA title by knocking out England's Daniel Dubois in the ninth round in August. He then went on to claim all three heavyweight titles by defeating Anthony Joshua by points in September 2021. Usyk was previously the undisputed champion in the cruiserweight division.

Usyk from Ukraine emerged victorious once more in the rematch against Joshua in August of 2022. At the age of 36, he holds an Olympic gold medal and is currently ranked as the second-best heavyweight by ESPN.

Fury, who has won 33 fights, drawn one, and knocked out 24 opponents, is widely regarded as one of the top boxers in the world. This summer, he made his debut on a Netflix reality show and he has also appeared in the WWE. The 35-year-old is preparing for a non-title fight with Ngannou on October 28, before he faces off against the biggest challenge of his career. However, Fury has already competed in and won many high-profile fights.

In 2015, "The Gypsy King" caused an unexpected outcome by defeating Wladimir Klitschko to win three heavyweight titles. However, he didn't defend his titles and instead battled addiction and faced mental health challenges during his 2 and a half-year absence. During this time, he gained a significant amount of weight and reached over 400 pounds.

Last year, Fury pulled off an impressive comeback in the world of sports. He won two preparatory matches before going head-to-head with Deontay Wilder in a draw for the WBC heavyweight championship in December. Wilder scored two knockdowns against Fury - once in the ninth round and again in the 12th round. Nonetheless, Fury managed to get back up just in time to avoid a complete defeat, and the fight ended with a draw, despite Fury appearing to have the upper hand.

Fury completely dominated Wilder in their rematch, leaving no room for doubt. He caused extensive damage, including a ruptured ear drum, and the fight was halted by Wilder's trainer in the seventh round.

Fury was supposed to face Anthony Joshua for the heavyweight championship title in 2020. However, an arbitrator stated that Fury must have a third fight with Wilder due to a rematch clause. The third fight was a thrilling heavyweight match-up, as Fury was knocked down twice but also landed three knockdowns of his own. In the eleventh round, Fury was able to decisively put an end to the rivalry.

The third installment of Fury-Wilder boxing match was selected as both the Fight of the Year and Knockout of the Year by ESPN.

Fury triumphed over his fellow English pugilists, Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora, with victories that didn't require the full number of scheduled rounds. These battles took place in London last year. Currently, Fury is gearing up for his most arduous competition yet.

Usyk is a strategic fighter who confuses his opponents with his clever use of angles and impressive footwork. Meanwhile, Fury is already considered one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time, standing at a towering height of 6-foot-9 and weighing 270 pounds. He has the ability to box from a defensive position or with a relentless attacking style that he showed off in the Wilder rematch.