The heavyweight championship rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will take place on December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Alalshikh announced on Wednesday.
Usyk became undisputed heavyweight champion of the world when he defeated Fury on points in their first highly anticipated fight earlier this month. A judge scored the fight 114-113 for Fury, but it was overruled by 114-113 and 115-112 for the Ukrainian.
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Usyk is the first unified heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in a rematch in Las Vegas in 1999. For Fury, meanwhile, it was the first defeat of his professional career.
The pair had signed a two-fight deal that included a rematch on October 12, but Alalshikh's announcement confirms that date has been pushed back to late 2024.
Alalshikh said in a post on Twitter: “The rematch between undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk and champion Tyson Fury is now scheduled for December 21, 2024 during the Riyadh season… The world will once again see a historic fight… Our commitment to boxing fans continues… We hope you enjoy it.”
Fury said after their first fight in the ring that he would try to improve his record in the rematch.
Tyson Fury suffered his first career loss to Oleksandr Usyk earlier this month. Richard Pelham/Getty Images
“I think I won the fight but I'm not going to sit here and cry and make excuses,” Fury said. “I think he won some rounds but I won most of them. What can you do? We both put up a good fight, the best we could do. … People are on the side of the country that's at war. But make no mistake, I won that fight … and I'm coming back. We have a rematch clause.”
The fight was particularly brutal. Fury took 14 unanswered punches in round 9, resulting in the eighth knockdown of his career. Usyk appeared at the post-fight press conference with four stitches in his right eye and severe swelling around both eyes.
Both fighters also had to endure long training camps after the actual fight on February 17 had to be postponed because Fury sustained a cut during sparring that required eleven stitches above his right eye.
Jose Mohan, president of the Middle East Boxing Commission, told ESPN on Wednesday that Usyk had been suspended for medical reasons until July 2, while Fury had been given a week's rest.
“Both are currently both [medically] suspended because the fight took such a toll on them,” Fury's promoter Frank Warren told ESPN on Tuesday. “It's a tough fight. These guys put up an epic, epic fight.”
Information from ESPN's Michael Coppinger contributed to this report.
