Fury Calls Off Joshua Fight, Challenges Usyk Instead

Tyson Fury has said that his big fight with Anthony Joshua is off. He is now calling out his old rival Oleksandr Usyk for a trilogy match.

The self-styled "Gypsy King" made the announcement on social media on Sunday. This comes just days after his promoter was busy discussing where the fight would take place.

Fury and Joshua are both supposed to fight later this year. But a long-standing argument over the venue has stopped an official announcement. Joshua agreed to a contract that says the fight must happen in the UK. It is not clear if Fury's contract says the same thing.

The promoter and main backer of the event, Sela, along with Netflix, want the fight to happen in the United States. They believe it will reach more fans if it starts at a time that works for American viewers. Madison Square Garden in New York was suggested as the venue for a fight on November 20.

Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn still insist that the fight must take place in the UK. Hearn said on Friday that talks have reopened to hold the fight at Wembley Stadium. This came after London Mayor Sadiq Khan publicly asked for the fight to be brought to London.

"A message to the promoters, we want to host it in London. Talk to us, we’re really keen to have it," Khan told BBC Sport.

But over the weekend, Fury announced that he no longer expects to fight Joshua. Instead, he invited Usyk, who beat him on points in both of their meetings in 2024, to step in.

"This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk. Oleksandr, you’re his trainer and his sensei and you know he is weak minded, and that he would never fight the Gypsy King, which you have had the guts to do twice.

"You got the decisions last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you, let us do it again. Let us run it back in November. The ball is now in your court, do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits? Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent," Fury said.

Usyk, who is coached by Sergey Lapin and now trains Joshua, gave up his three heavyweight belts in June. He is close to finalizing a fight with veteran Deontay Wilder.

Despite Fury’s comments, neither camp has confirmed what will happen with the Joshua fight. There is still speculation that the November date in New York could still happen.