Tyson Fury Turns to Usyk After Claiming Joshua Is Pulling Out

Tyson Fury has raised fresh doubts over his proposed heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua, claiming his fellow Briton is backing away from their much-anticipated fight and calling for a trilogy against Oleksandr Usyk.

The Fury-Joshua fight has been the subject of lengthy negotiations, with November widely expected as the target date. However, no venue has been officially confirmed, leaving Fury increasingly frustrated.

The former heavyweight champion stepped up his criticism of Joshua last week when he described him as a “coward”. He has now claimed the fight could be falling apart.

Speaking in an expletive-laden Instagram video, Fury, 38, said a breakdown in negotiations would push him towards another fight with Usyk.

“This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk,” Fury said. “Oleksandr you’re his (Joshua’s) trainer and his sensei and you know he is… weak-minded… and that he would never fight the Gypsy King, which you have had the guts to do twice.”

Fury acknowledged Usyk’s previous victories over him before calling for another encounter.

“You got the decisions last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you, let’s do it again. Let’s run it back in November,” he added.

He also issued a direct challenge to the Ukrainian, saying: “The ball is now in your court… do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling quits? Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent.”

Fury has lost twice to Usyk, who has twice become undisputed heavyweight champion. Joshua has also been working alongside members of Usyk’s training team.

While Madison Square Garden in New York has been widely regarded as the likely venue for Fury versus Joshua, Joshua’s camp reportedly prefers Wembley Stadium.

Sela, the Saudi state-owned promotional company backing the fight financially, and Netflix are believed to favour taking the blockbuster bout to the United States.

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