THE heavyweight boxing rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury has been scheduled for December 21, according to the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.
Ukrainian Usyk defeated Fury via a split decision earlier this month in Riyadh to add the Briton’s World Boxing Council belt to his World Boxing Association, World Boxing Organisation and International Boxing Federation titles.
The victory made Usyk the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in almost 25 years since Lennox Lewis unified the titles in 1999.
With an immediate rematch clause written into the fighters’ contracts, it was expected they would clash again in October, but a December date has been announced instead.
“The rematch between the Undisputed Champion Oleksandr Usyk and the Champion Tyson Fury is now scheduled on the 21 of December 2024 during Riyadh Season,” Turki Alalshikh of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority announced on X today.
“The world will watch another historical fight again. Our commitment to boxing fans continues. We hope you enjoy it…”
Earlier this week, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said he was confident the boastful Brit could turn things around in the rematch.
“I think he can, he believes he can,” Warren told Sky Sports. “It was a fight of two halves, Tyson knows what he has to do and I’m sure Usyk does. Both of those guys were in an absolute war, that has taken a lot out of both of them. It will be interesting to see when it does happen who it has impacted the most.”
Fury even claimed that he had won the initial fight on May 18 despite being knocked down and saved by the bell, and indicated he had no immediate plans of retirement after earning around £100m for facing Usyk.
“I ain’t boxing because I’ve got no money, I’m boxing because I love it. I’m 36 in a few months [his birthday is August 12]. I’ve been boxing since I was a child,” Fury said at the time.
