Fury sustains cut, title fight vs. Usyk postponed
The undisputed heavyweight title showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk that was originally scheduled for Feb. 17 has been postponed after Fury suffered a cut in training, Usyk's trainer, Egis Klimas, told Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix.
"I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition," Fury said of the injury, according to Boxing Scene.
"I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed. I can only apologize to everyone affected including my own team, Team Usyk, the undercard fighters, partners, and fans as well as our hosts and my friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
The cut is described as severe and will require stitches, a source told ESPN's Mike Coppinger.
Usyk's camp is hoping to save the Feb. 17 date, as the impression they received from Fury's side is that the injury could keep him out for several months, Klimas told Mannix.
IBF mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic is reportedly interested in filling in for Fury on that date.
Fury and Usyk, the two top heavyweights in the world, have been attempting to fight for the undisputed crown for more than a year, with contracts finally getting signed for an event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last September. The fight was originally scheduled for December but was delayed to February so Fury could compete against Francis Ngannou on Oct. 28.
Fury barely defeated Ngannou by split decision after the former UFC fighter, making his professional boxing debut, shockingly knocked him down in the third round. It was Fury's only boxing match of 2023.
Usyk, like Fury, was involved in controversy during his only bout of 2023. The champion retained his belts against Daniel Dubois after he was dropped to the canvas in the fifth round for what appeared to be a TKO victory for the underdog.
The punch that took Usyk down was ruled a low blow, so the referee allowed him time to recover. He took close to a four-minute break and went on to defeat Dubois by ninth-round knockout.