Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk fights against Britain's Tyson Fury during a heavyweight boxing world championship fight at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 19, 2024 Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk fights against Britain's Tyson Fury during a heavyweight boxing world championship fight at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 19, 2024. Photo: Fayez Nureldine/AFP
Oleksandr Usyk will face Tyson Fury in a rematch on December 21 in Riyadh, the top Saudi organiser said on Wednesday, after winning their undisputed heavyweight boxing bout earlier this month.
The undefeated Ukrainian won by split decision against Britain's Fury in the Saudi capital on May 19 in the first unification fight of the four-belt era.
"The rematch between the undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk and the champion Tyson Fury is now scheduled on the 21 of December 2024 during Riyadh Season," Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Britain's Lennox Lewis won the last undisputed heavyweight championship against Evander Holyfield in 1999. Both men were ringside as Usyk handed Fury, 35, his first defeat.
The 37-year-old Ukrainian, who briefly served as a soldier after the Russian invasion, was also undisputed champion at cruiserweight and won Olympic, world and European honours as an amateur.
After the fight earlier this month, his promoter Alex Krassyuk believed that Usyk was denied a knock-out victory when the referee stepped in as Fury looked about to hit the deck in round nine.
"I believe the referee saved Tyson from a knock-out and stole the ninth-round knock-out, which should have happened," Krassyuk said.
Fury’s rematch with Usyk puts doubt on a highly anticipated potential fight against fellow Brit Anthony Joshua.
AFP
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