Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk: is this Fury’s next fight, what’s been said about date, venue, and prize purse?

Tyson Fury and Olexsandr Usyk have reportedly agreed a deal to fight each other next, according to boxing promoter Bob Arum.

The fight is likely to be the biggest boxing event of 2023, with both fighters risking their unbeaten status in the ring.

The pair are currently the two dominant forces in heavyweight boxing - Fury has recently recorded victories over the likes of Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora this year, meanwhile Usyk will enter the fight on the back of two consecutive victories over former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

Fury and Usyk currently hold all four of the major heavyweight world title belts and the winner of the highly anticipated fight would be crowned undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

The last fighter to achieve this status was British boxing icon Lennox Lewis in 2000. Undisputed status has also been held by the likes of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Muhammad Ali.

A fight of this magnitude is likely to attract a wide scale audience and the two champions are likely to receive a hefty sum of cash for taking the challenge on. But how much are the two fighters being paid and has a date been set for the undisputed clash?

Here is everything you need to know.

When is Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk?

An exact date for the fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk has not been determined, but it is believed that the pair are targeting an undisputed showdown within the first four months of 2023, according to Bob Arum.

Arum of Top Rank, the US company that co-promotes Fury suggested that neither fighter would take another fight before the undisputed clash.

Arum said: “The two fighters have agreed to fight each other next. With Fury and Usyk were dealing with two adults, not a lot of back and forth. Usyk is a good friend of mine, he’s very intelligent and Tyson is superman, both as an athlete and as an intellect.

“Both of them want the fight and so there’ll be very little, if any, messing around. So we’ll be able to make that happen. I’m very, very confident. As I said the fighters have both agreed to fight each other next without any interim fights.”

"Now the question is what’s the date and what’s the site. But that fight is definitely going to happen and it will happen in the first four months of next year."

Usyk joined Fury in the ring after the Gypsy King’s third victory over Derek Chisora and made it clear that he is targeting the undisputed clash. The Ukrainian star is looking to follow in the footsteps of Evander Hollyfield by becoming undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.

Where will Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk take place?

A venue for the fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk has not yet been confirmed. However, it has been reported that the UK is in the running to host the fight, with the showdown potentially taking place at Wembley Stadium.

Arum said: “We are balancing a couple of significant offers from the Mid East and also there’s the possibility of doing the fight in the UK at Wembley with a massive 95,000 crowd in attendance.

“Fighters have a relatively short life and money is important. So if the money which has been proposed to us is real, that has to be taken into serious consideration.”

Fury’s last two fights in 2022 were both fought on home soil. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium played host to his fight with Derek Chisora and Wembley Stadium was the venue for his clash with Dillian Whyte.

Usyk has beaten Anthony Joshua in his last two fights. The first bout was fought in front of Joshua’s fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, meanwhile the second fight took place at the King Abdullah Sports City in Saudi Arabia.

What is the potential purse for Fury vs Usyk?

The two heavyweight icons are likely to receive a hefty cash prize for taking on the undisputed fight. While an exact figure is yet to be revealed by either of the two camps it is anticipated that this fight would smash a number of records.

When asked about the fight back in August, Fury shared a post on his instagram account with the caption: “The world’s biggest fight has to be for the world’s biggest money.”

Fury reportedly earned around £21 million during his trilogy fight with Chisora, while it is reported that Usyk and Joshua both pocketed £30 million during their second bout.

What to expect from a potential clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk?

An undisputed title clash would undoubtedly attract a great deal of intrigue and excitement for boxing fans throughout the world.

It has been nearly 23 years since we last had an undisputed heavyweight champion - the Klitchsko brothers Wladimir and Vitali dominated the landscape from 2003 until 2015 but never fought each other.

Over the last seven years the likes of Deontay Wilder, Fury, Joshua, Joseph Parker, Andy Ruiz Jr and Usyk have all held the belts without there being a clear undisputed champion.

The Gypsy King enters the bout with an unbeaten record of 33 victories and one draw. His career highlights include two knockout victories over power puncher Wilder, three victories against Chisora and dethroning Klitchsko after a ten year unbeaten streak.

Fury is regarded by many as the best heavyweight boxer of his generation. He has deceptively quick feet for a fighter standing at 6 ft 9 and has added a great deal of power to his game under the guidance of trainer SugarHill Steward.

Usyk offers the biggest test to Fury in the heavyweight division in many experts’ eyes. The 35-year old was the undisputed king of the cruiserweight division beating the likes of Murat Gassiev, Michael Hunter and Tony Bellew before making the jump up to the heavyweight division.

Many believed the Ukrainian would struggle with the weight difference of moving up a division, but Usyk took to the jump like a fish to water. Usyk followed in the footsteps of Hollyfield and most recently David Haye by becoming the champion of both the cruiserweight and heavyweight division.

Usyk’s career highlights at heavyweight include a victory over Chisora and back-to-back victories over Joshua. Usyk is not regarded as a power puncher although he still boasts a record of 13 knockouts from 20 fights - but is instead known for his exceptional footwork and his ability to outscore opponents with his fast combinations.