Oleksandr Usyk Still Targeting Tyson Fury Fight Despite IBF Order

Oleksandr Usyk’s team isn’t worried about the IBF’s order. 

Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, confirmed that the unified heavyweight champion is still locked in on an undisputed fight with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. 

“At this stage I can anticipate that it will not influence the undisputed anyhow,” Krassyuk told Sky Sports. 

Earlier this week, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said that he received a written order for Filip Hrgovic – who he co-promotes – to be the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s IBF belt. 

“We just got the news that Filip Hrgovic has been ordered to face Oleksandr Usyk next,” Hearn told DAZN’s Claudia Trejo.   

“Hrgovic is the IBF mandatory. We actually requested an immediate purse bid. That’s going to be the next fight for Oleksandr Usyk. Very excited for Hrgovic and Matchroom. I’m very excited to see that fight next.” 

But Krassyuk stood by his statement that they are still going for Fury. 

“We expect his next fight to be for the undisputed so most likely it will take place in the Middle East,” he added. 

Usyk last defeated former champion Anthony Joshua in August for the second time, rightfully earning a shot at an undisputed matchup with Fury. 

That fight was targeted for February 2023, but it fell through after Usyk revealed that he wants to rest for the remainder of the year and Fury wanted another fight. Fury fights Derek Chisora for the third time on December 3. 

Promoter Ben Shalom of BOXXER even said that he’s willing to lend a hand to help make the Fury fight happen. 

“We think his fights should be in the UK. We’d love to work with Oleksandr and that’s something that we are speaking about,” Shalom told Sky Sports. 

The last undisputed heavyweight champion was Lennox Lewis from 1999-2000.