Boxing
Are Fury and Usyk serious regarding a third meeting as doubts surround Joshua fight?
Garcia vs. Benn live on DAZN PPV - Saturday
Is Tyson Fury really preparing to face Oleksandr Usyk for a third time?
The heavyweight rivals have exchanged messages on social media in recent days, with both fighters appearing in videos that address the possibility of another meeting.
Fury remains without an opponent for later this year while talks continue over a long-awaited meeting with Anthony Joshua.
Joshua and his team are understood to favour London’s Wembley Stadium, but the broadcaster’s preference for Madison Square Garden in New York City has emerged as one of several sticking points.
An announcement had been expected at the end of July after both men recorded victories on consecutive days, with Fury defeating Mariusz Wach 24 hours before Joshua survived a scare against Kristian Prenga.
Is Usyk vs Fury 3 possible?
Now in September, there is still no formal announcement, and Fury’s latest call-out of Usyk suggests he may be prepared to look elsewhere if the Joshua fight cannot be finalised.
Fury and Usyk shared a two-fight series in 2024, with the Ukrainian coming out on top on both occasions. Those defeats have clearly lingered with Fury, who now appears open to testing himself against the division’s leading fighter once again.
After making his intentions clear, Fury did not have to wait long for a response.
“Tyson, I’m coming for you, my brother. You greedy belly,” said Usyk while speaking on social media during a treadmill workout.
Chris Walker - DAZN's Senior Boxing Editor, on Fury, Joshua and Usyk
As things stand, Joshua, Fury and Usyk are all without official fights, although Usyk appears more likely to pursue a meeting with Deontay Wilder in 2027 than revisit old ground against Fury.
The next week could be critical for the heavyweight division. If no deal can be finalised between Fury and Joshua, the highly sought-after November 20 date with Netflix may have to be pushed back.
The fact both sides remain at a stalemate almost seven weeks after the fight had been expected to be made official underlines how difficult it is to deliver a bout of this size when so many parties are involved. Fury turning his attention towards Usyk, however, feels more like a pressure move than a serious offer.
Could Fury and Usyk fight for a third time? Of course. But Usyk has made it clear he is approaching the final stretch of his career, and facing a man he has already beaten twice may not be the fitting finale he has in mind.
Fury’s challenge may be designed to force Joshua’s hand and push talks along sooner rather than later. That tactic has worked for fighters before, but Joshua is nobody’s fool and is unlikely to be swayed by Fury’s latest social media antics.
For now, all fight fans can do is wait. Fury vs Joshua has been ten years in the making, and if it takes a few more days to become official, boxing supporters are unlikely to lose patience now. If talks collapse completely, then perhaps you cannot truly miss what you never had in the first place.
Watch Garcia vs. Benn on DAZN
Britian's Conor Benn looks to become a world champion for the first time against US superstar Ryan Garcia on Saturday, September 12.
Watch the fight exclusively in the UK & Ireland and other territories (check for availability) on DAZN PPV or included in our Ultimate Tier subscription.
