Usyk responds positively to Fury's call for a rematch after he fails to land an opponent
Third fight seems an odd stage for Usyk's 'last dance'
Unbeaten heavyweight legend Oleksandr Usyk, 39, of Ukraine, who is nearing retirement, appears increasingly likely to face his friend Tyson Fury, 38, of Britain, for a third time.
After Fury recently threw down a challenge to him, Usyk posted a video message on social media that seemed to accept the offer. Walking backward on a treadmill during training, he said, "Hey, Tyson. I'm coming, brother. You greedy fat man," before letting out a deliberate "ha-ha" laugh.
Usyk has hinted at retirement since last year but is still willing to fight once or twice more. After beating kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in a WBC heavyweight title bout in May 2025, he said he still had a "last dance" left in him and was not retiring immediately.
Undefeated in 25 fights, Usyk became the first boxer to hold all four major heavyweight titles at once. He gave up his WBO title in November 2025 and relinquished his remaining WBA, WBC and IBF titles in June. He still holds The Ring title, however. He has said he gave up the titles so he could decide the final chapter of his career on his own terms.
If Usyk indeed accepts Fury's challenge, he would be stepping in as an emergency replacement. Fury had originally been pursuing a fight with British rival Anthony Joshua, but talks appeared to collapse over a dispute regarding the host venue. That prompted Fury to abruptly turn his attention to Usyk.
Even if the fight comes together, however, it remains unclear whether it would draw much interest from fans. Usyk has already beaten Fury twice, in May and December 2024, winning both bouts convincingly with superior skill and speed. With the series already decided 2-0, a trilogy bout does not appear necessary to settle anything.
A third fight would carry meaning mainly for Fury. A win in this final showdown against the only man to hand him both losses of his career would let him claim the narrative that he had the final word.
MMA Weekly said Usyk has established himself as the top heavyweight of this generation. But a fight between Fury and Joshua, staged over British heavyweight pride, would still carry major significance. The outlet suggested that somehow making the originally planned Fury-Joshua fight happen would draw even greater attention.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
