Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are closing in on a deal for an undisputed heavyweight championship fight
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are closing in on a deal for an undisputed heavyweight championship fight, planned for April 29 at London's Wembley Stadium, according to ESPN.
The report states that both sides notified the WBA that they have agreed to terms, president Gilberto Mendoza told ESPN.
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It comes after Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) posted a video to social media, issuing an ultimatum to the Ukrainian champion, saying he is only interested in fighting to become undisputed world heavyweight champion if he gets 70 percent of the earnings from the bout.
Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, and Bob Arum. Top Rank via Getty Images
“I see all this talk about boxing fights, that they want 50 percent, Tyson being greedy,” Fury said in a video. “Where I’m standing: Usyk, you and your team are worth 30 percent.
“You either take it or leave it.
"If you want to make some real money, come and fight The Gypsy King. ... I will say, for every day from today that you linger, mess around, I'm going to deduct 1 percent from the 30 percent. ... Sign the contract, get your money and get f---ed up. ... Tick, tock."
Usyk’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, initially stated that his camp's latest offer -- a 60-40 split to the winner -- had been rejected by Fury and his camp.
Usyk, who owns the WBO, WBA and IBF belts, would have instead fought British boxer Daniel Dubois, according to Krassyuk. Dubois holds the WBA regular title and is a mandatory challenger for Usyk.
But it appears they've changed their tune and are willing to fight under Fury's terms.
"Hey greedy belly, I accept your offer, 70/30 split to fight on April 29 at Wembley," Usyk wrote on Instagram. "But you will promise to donate 1 million pounds to Ukraine immediately after the fight. And for every day of your delay, you will pay 1 percent from your purse to Ukrainian people. Deal?"
Usyk (L) and Fury (R) face-off after the WBC heavyweight championship fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 03, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images) Top Rank via Getty Images
The last boxer to hold all the world heavyweight titles at the same time was Lennox Lewis in 1999-2000.
Usyk, 36, owns the WBO, WBA and IBF belts, and defeated Anthony Joshua via unanimous decision in September 2021 and retained his unified championship with a split-decision win in the August rematch.
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