The heavyweight boxing title unifier between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk has been pushed back in the wake of Fury’s near-upset loss to Francis Ngannou, according to a new report.
Citing sources with knowledge of the shift, ESPN.com reported Fury vs. Usyk will take place in February at a to-be-announced date. The heavyweight title fight originally was targeted for Dec. 23.
Fury announced the fight with Usyk several weeks prior to his meeting with Ngannou, which he escaped with a split decision after going 10 rounds with the ex-UFC champ. Uysk sat ringside at the event in Saudi Arabia and pumped up the crowd when cameras cut to him.
Fury was knocked down by Ngannou in the third round of the contest, producing the most memorable moment of the fight. He also sustained a cut on his forehead that likely pushed back his timeline for fighting again.
Ngannou believes he was robbed by judges this past Saturday at called for an immediate rematch with Fury. But the U.K. boxing star instead looked ahead to his long-awaited fight with Uysk, which was targeted to take place in April in London before negotiations fizzled.
Fury, the WBC champion, will put his belt on the line against Usyk, the WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring titleholder.