Heavyweight trilogy prospects for Fury and Usyk
Oleksandr Usyk remains the undisputed heavyweight champion following his December 2024 rematch victory against Tyson Fury. While Fury prepares for a late 2026 bout against Anthony Joshua, Usyk plans a three-fight retirement run including a match against Rico Verhoeven.
The history of the Riyadh bouts
Usyk won the first undisputed heavyweight championship match on 18 May 2024 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. This fight followed a postponement of the original 17 February 2024 date because Fury sustained a facial injury in training that required 11 stitches over his right eye. The fight between Fury and Usyk took place on 18 May 2024 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, where Usyk won by split decision after the match was rescheduled due to a facial injury sustained by Fury during his training camp. The three judges provided scores of 115-112, 114-113, and 114-113. The judges all agreed that the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds were 10-9 in favor of Fury. In the ninth round, Usyk landed 14 unanswered punches. This sequence caused Fury to stumble into the ring ropes and Referee Mark Nelson gave him a standing eight count. Usyk won the rematch on 21 December 2024 in Riyadh via unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 116-112. The total purse for this rematch was $190-191 million. The first fight had a total purse of approximately $150 million. Fury earned 70% of that purse, which was $105 million, while Usyk secured $45 million. This win made Usyk the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years. The event in Riyadh was a financial loss because total expenses reached $120 million.
Fury returns for a late 2026 showdown
Fury announced his retirement from professional boxing on 13 January 2025. He returned to the ring on 11 April 2026 to face Arslanbek Makhmudov in the United Kingdom. This match was a Netflix broadcast. Makhmudov has a professional record of 21-2 with 19 knockouts. Fury is now scheduled to fight Anthony Joshua in the fourth quarter of 2026. Turki Alalshikh, the head of the General Entertainment Authority, confirmed the signing of the Joshua versus Fury bout. Joshua is returning to action after a car accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Nigeria on 29 December 2025. This accident killed two of his close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. Eddie Hearn, the promoter for Joshua, said the December 11 fight is a one-off event without a rematch clause. Dana White, the head of Zuffa Boxing, also said he will promote the fight. Hearn dismissed the claim from White and called White a clout chaser. You should know that the fight involves heavy promotional disagreements between Matchroom and Zuffa.
Usyk’s path to the trilogy
Frank Warren said the fight Fury really wants is a rematch against Usyk. Usyk is the current holder of the WBC, WBA Super, and IBF heavyweight titles. He will defend his title against the winner of the Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley fight in the WBO. The WBO ordered this defense. Usyk is planning a three-fight retirement run. This plan includes a fight against Rico Verhoeven on 23 May 2026 at the Giza Necropolis. He must also face the winner of the Parker and Wardley fight. The WBO interim title is currently at stake between Parker and Wardley. Daniel Dubois is the WBO heavyweight champion. He stopped Fabio Wardley on 9 May 2026. Usyk also defeated Daniel Dubois in July 2025. Usyk’s team filed a petition to keep the IBF title. This comes as the IBF belt may be vacated for the battle between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua. Will Usyk prioritize the mandatory challenger or wait for the Fury trilogy?
