In some boxing news, Oleksandr Usyk is remaining optimistic over facing Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight title in February.

The pair were on course to face each other on December 23rd, 2023, only for the fight to be pushed back after Fury’s hard-fought win over Francis Ngannou. 

In a fight where Fury was expected to overpower his opponent, who was making his boxing debut, Ngannou surprised the masses with his performance. 

The former UFC heavyweight champion cut Fury above the eye in round two with a left hook, as the same shot dropped Fury a round later, much to the surprise of everyone. 

Despite getting the win, Fury refused to commit to the December 23rd, 2023, date as Frank Warren then confirmed that the fight would not happen this year. 

Although February is the new date that is being targeted, until an announcement is made, fans have been left none the wiser. But when it came to Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion remained positive that things would get done.

Usyk On His Fight

"It could be February and I would very much like it to be February. I was ready to fight on the 23rd but since Fury got some injuries in the last fight, a knockdown, then probably it will be postponed to next year. I’ll just do more technical work. Technically, nothing changes. I just have a little more time for some additional tasks, and that’s it," Usyk

The frustration will have been understandable since there were concerns that Fury may not have beaten Ngannou at all. In the aftermath of the fight, a certain subset of the boxing community had given Ngannou the win. 

The most notable of those boxers were Carl Froch and Carl Frampton. Nevertheless, Fury did get a split-decision win but that was not before Usyk began to get worried over the outcome. 

After all, a loss would have derailed the plans for an undisputed fight, with the Gypsy King likely to chase a rematch. In response, Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, had this to say.