Tyson Fury hints Anthony Joshua fight is over, calls for Oleksandr Usyk trilogy fight

Tyson Fury appears to have given up on his proposed showdown with Anthony Joshua, with the former heavyweight champion now turning his attention to a potential third meeting with Oleksandr Usyk in November.

The lucrative All-UK contest between Fury and Joshua has been in the making for months, but no confirmed venue or date has been forthcoming from discussions. Unresolved financial problems also continue to hamper the agreement.

Fury launched a furious attack on Joshua in an expletive-laden Instagram video on Sunday yesterday, holding his domestic rival responsible for the stalled negotiations. The 36-year-old described Joshua as “weak-minded” and questioned whether he was willing to take the fight.

“That only brings me to the Oleksandr Usyk fight,” Fury said.

Instead, Fury called for another shot at Usyk, who recently vacated his three world heavyweight titles. The undefeated Ukrainian already indicated in June that he was waiting for his last fight before ending his career.

“You got the decision last time, fair play. Good luck, well, let’s do it again. Let’s do it again in November. The ball is in your court now, Oleksandr,” added Fury. “Do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling off? Let me know because I’m looking for a new opponent now.”

Usyk boasts a perfect 25-0 record and has defeated Fury twice in their previous meetings. He ended a 24-year wait for the undisputed heavyweight champion when he beat the Briton on points in May 2024, before securing another victory in the rematch seven months later.

Both Fury and Joshua returned to the ring in July in anticipation of fights to set up their long-awaited British blockbuster. While Fury went through his outing, Joshua endured a scare after Kristian Prenga dropped him twice.

Usyk is also back in action from his second win over Fury, although he wasn’t at his best against Ric Verhoeven. The Ukrainian finally stopped the Dutch kickboxing star, who was competing in only his second professional boxing match, in May.

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Published on:

07 Sep 2026 20:49 IST