Video emerges of moment Tyson Fury suffered cut that led Usyk fight to be postponed
Footage has emerged of what appears to be the moment that Tyson Fury suffered a cut in sparring that led to the postponement of his heavyweight title clash with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury and Usyk were due to square off in Saudi Arabia on 17 February, with the winner set to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion for 24 years.
But a shock announcement came on Friday (2 February) that the fight has been pushed back, after Fury sustained a severe cut over his eye while sparring.
And now a video is circulating that is seemingly the moment the Briton received that cut. It appears that he was caught by an elbow and the heavyweight champion can be heard yelling out in frustration and pain after receiving the blow.
‼️ Footage has now emerged appearing to show the moment Tyson Fury was cut by an ELBOW in sparring, causing the Oleksandr Usyk fight to be postponed… pic.twitter.com/dDy3e0Cv4o
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) February 2, 2024
The 35-year-old posted a statement detailing his annoyance at having to cancel the fight on such short notice.
“I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition,” said Fury. “I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed.
“I can only apologise to everyone affected including my own team, Team Usyk, the undercard fighters, partners, and fans, as well as our hosts and my friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
On Instagram, Fury added: “Can’t help getting injured in sparring, but what I can say was Usyk was in trouble. I am in fantastic shape. I will reschedule [as] soon as I can. 2024 a massive year for team GK [Gypsy King].”
Fury last fought in October, controversially beating ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou on points in Riyadh. The fight, which marked Ngannou’s boxing debut, was not a WBC title contest.
However, the belt was due to be defended in Riyadh on 17 February, with Usyk putting the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles on the line as well. The winner of the bout would have been crowned the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis lost that status in 2000.
Ukrainian Usyk last fought in August, retaining his titles with a stoppage win against Daniel Dubois. That victory kept the 37-year-old unbeaten, like Fury.
