Tyson Fury has been forced to postpone his world heavyweight title fight against Oleksandr Usyk after suffering a cut above his eye during sparring. The WBC belt holder was scheduled to face his Ukrainian opponent, holder of the WBO, WBA and IBF belts, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 17. But the wound, which required multiple stitches, will make boxing fans wait for the new date of the fight.
"I'm absolutely devastated after preparing so hard for this match and being in super fit condition. I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I'll be working hard for the new date as soon as my eye is heeled. I can only apologize to everyone involved, including my team, Usyk's staff, the other boxers, sponsors and fans, as well as our hosts and my friends from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia", 35-year old Fury said.
The Briton, who is undefeated in the professional ring (34-0-1, 24 by knockout), controversially defeated former MMA world champion Francis Ngannou in his last fight. Ngannou knocked Fury down in the third round, but then it was a split decision victory for the "Gypsy King".
Usyk, 21-0, 14 by knockout, defended his titles against Daniel Dubois in front of 40,000 fans in Poland, but many felt the British boxer deserved to win after dropping his opponent in the fifth round. In that crucial situation, however, the referee ruled that Dubois had acted illegally by delivering a low blow. /BGNES
