Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury are set for a rematch four days before Christmas, according to the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s general entertainment authority.
Usyk overcame Fury by split decision in Riyadh on May 18 to become the first undisputed champion in the 25 years of the four-belt era.
A rematch was reportedly planned for October but in a social media post Turki Alalshikh said the fight would now take place on December 21 as part of the Saudi capital’s annual entertainment season, which was launched in 2019 and has previously featured a number of high profile boxing events..
“The rematch between the undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk and the champion Tyson Fury is now scheduled on December 21 during Riyadh Season.
“The world will watch another historical fight again. Our commitment to boxing fans continues. We hope you enjoy it.”
The rematch between the Undisputed Champion Oleksandr Usyk and the Champion Tyson Fury is now scheduled on the 21 of December 2024 during Riyadh Season…The world will watch another historical fight again…Our commitment to boxing fans continues…We hope you enjoy it…🥊🔥🇸🇦
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) MAY 29, 2024
Usyk added Fury’s WBC belt to his WBA, WBO and IBF collection to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
The 37-year-old Ukrainian extended his record to 22 wins from 22 fights while inflicting the first defeat of 35-year-old Fury’s professional career, which has spanned 16 years.
The first Fury-Usyk clash was originally scheduled for Riyadh Season in 2023 but was twice delayed, initially by Fury’s fight with Francis Ngannou, which he won via a controversial split decision, and then a cut Fury sustained in sparring.
It is expected the rematch will see at most three belts at stake as Usyk will reportedly be stripped of the IBF title if he fails to face its mandatory challenger in his next bout.
