At long last, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will square off to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion next week.
The division’s 24-year wait for a new undisputed king is set to end in Saudi Arabia, barring a draw, as Fury and Usyk put their belts and unbeaten records on the line.
Not since Lennox Lewis in 2000 has a heavyweight held all the major gold, and Fury will bring the WBC belt to Riyadh while Usyk carries the WBA, WBO and IBF straps.
Last time out, 35-year-old Fury survived a shock knockdown to outpoint ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou, with that bout having taken place in October. Usyk, 37, last boxed in August, fighting through a controversial low blow to stop Daniel Dubois.
Now, Briton Fury and Ukraine’s Usyk both face the biggest fight of their lives – three months after the Briton suffered a cut that postponed the bout on two weeks’ notice. Here’s all you need to know.
When is the fight?
Fury vs Usyk is set to take place on Saturday 18 May at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The start times for the main card and main event have not yet been announced, but our early predictions are as follows: Main card at 6pm BST (10am PT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET); main-event ring walks at 11pm BST (3pm PT / 5pm CT / 6pm ET).
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
How can I watch it?
In an unprecedented move, the fight will air live on DAZN, Sky Sports and TNT Sports in the UK. The event will be on pay-per-view on each platform, with DAZN also broadcasting the fight card worldwide.
TNT has not yet announced its pricing, while Sky Sports has priced the fight card at £24.95, and DAZN has it listed at £24.99 for new subscribers (who will also receive a free month’s subscription for that fee) and £23.99 for existing customers. Purchase a subscription to DAZN here, with plans starting at £9.99 a month.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.
What are the odds?
Fury – 10/11
Usyk – 10/11
Draw – 16/1
Via Betway. Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers.
How much are the fighters earning?
Reports suggest that Fury is contracted to earn around 70 per cent of a total purse thought to be worth around $150m (£116m), with a clause stating Fury must donate £1m of his earnings to Ukraine amid its ongoing war against Russia.
While the final figure will not be known until after the fight, Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum has claimed that his fighter will earn more than $100m (£78m) from the showdown.
“If you told Tyson Fury he’s set to make $100m, he’d really get p***ed off because he thinks, and I think he’s right, that he’s going to make a lot more,” said Arum. “I don’t know the number, but it’s a lot more than $100m.”
Full card (subject to change)
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk (IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles)
Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis (vacant IBF cruiserweight title)
Joe Cordina (C) vs Anthony Cacace (IBF super-featherweight title)
Agit Kabayel vs Frank Sanchez (heavyweight)
Sergey Kovalev vs Robin Sirwan Safar (cruiserweight)
Mark Chamberlain vs Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab (lightweight)
Moses Itauma vs Ilja Mezencev (heavyweight)
David Nyika vs Michael Seitz (cruiserweight)
Isaac Lowe vs Hasibullah Ahmadi (featherweight)
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