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Just a few days after lifting the title of the IBF Undisputed Champion after a convincing victory over Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk is expected to take on the British fighter again in a rematch in October. According to Frank Warren, who is a promoter of Fury and Daniel Dubois, the result would mean that the IBF belt will be vacant till June 1, until Dubois takes on Filip Hrgovic.
In their first game at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the Ukrainian came on top at the end of 12 rounds, where the judges’ decision read 115-112 in favour of Usyk, 114-113 to Fury, and 114-113 to Usyk respectively. Fury delivered a compatible comeback in the match but that wasn’t enough to save him. Among the punches and hits, Fury landed 157 of 496 punches while Usyk, being effective, hurled 170 of 407 punches.
After the game, the 35-year-old British boxer argued that it was his match, and he wanted a rematch under the rematch clause. “His country is at war and people sided with him for that. I have a rematch clause and I want it because I won that fight. We’ll go and rest up and fight again in October,” Fury excused. Frank Warren told DAZN, “That’s what the contract says and if that’s what [Fury] wants, then it’s up to him.”
Meanwhile, if the rematch goes ahead as per the talks, then the world governing body will have to strip the IBF belt from the Ukrainian champion and it will be vacant for a few days. Another British professional Daniel Dubois will then receive the title shot as he will go up against Hrgovic on June 1 to lift the vacant belt.
