The undisputed heavyweight world title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk has been rearranged for May 18, the promoters have announced.
The historic bout in Riyadh, which will crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era, was initially scheduled for February 17, but WBC title holder Fury suffered a cut above his eye in training, forcing the fight to be postponed.
Initial reports had claimed Fury, who required 11 stitches, would not be ready to fight until at least June, but organisers have moved quickly to secure a new fight date.
“The undisputed heavyweight championship fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk has been rescheduled to May 18th in Riyadh," read a statement from Fury's promoters Queensbury Promotions on social media.
It is the second time Fury's planned fight with Usyk – holder of the WBO, WBA, and IBF titles – has been delayed after an initial slot in December failed to materialise.
Fury, 35, won his WBC championship after knocking out American Deontay Wilder in 2020, while 37-year-old Usyk won his belts after outscoring Britain's Anthony Joshua in 2021. Both boxers are undefeated in their professional careers.
Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's general entertainment authority, told the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani that he was confident the fight would happen on the new date.
"This fight I want it to happen," he said. "On 18th of May we will have Tyson-Usyk... on the 18th we will have the answer."
Alalshikh said May 18 also met a deadline set by the IBF for the fight to happen. Had the deadline been missed, Usyk was at risk of vacating his IBF belt and therefore scuppering hopes of an undisputed title fight.
Both Fury and Usyk appeared on the show via video links, Fury in Saudi Arabia and Usyk from his training camp in Spain, and said they had agreed the new date.
Fury explained that he had arranged to spar 12 rounds with four different boxers and suffered the injury in round five, requiring a hospital trip and 11 stitches.
"They have the medical reports, they have everything... nothing much anybody can do about getting a cut in sparring. [It] happens. Never had one before. First time for everything," he said.
Fury also brushed aside a suggestion from Usyk's camp that he was looking for a way out.
"Why would I not want to fight for the biggest pay day in my life?," he asked. "I've put 10 weeks in a training camp. Why would I not want to fight?"
Usyk said his reaction to the news of the postponement was "just smile. I just smile and go to training."
Saudi organisers said on Friday that tickets for the original fight would be refunded.
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
