Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will finally go head to head next week, crowning the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years.
Barring any draw, of course, the fight in Saudi Arabia will give boxing fans a successor to Lennox Lewis, the last man to hold all the division’s major belts at once.
Fury, 35, will carry the WBC title into Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena, while 37-year-old Usyk holds the WBA, WBO and IBF straps. Furthermore, both men are unbeaten.
Briton Fury survived a knockdown against Francis Ngannou to beat the ex-UFC champion on points in October, after Ukraine’s Usyk fought through a controversial low blow to stop Daniel Dubois in August.
Fury vs Usyk was initially set for February, but the Briton suffered a cut over his eye, delaying the bout on two weeks’ notice. Finally, however, it is here. And here’s all you need to know.
When is the fight?
Fury vs Usyk is set to take place on Saturday 18 May at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The start times for the main card and main event have not yet been announced, but our early predictions are as follows: Main card at 6pm BST (10am PT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET); main-event ring walks at 11pm BST (3pm PT / 5pm CT / 6pm ET).
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
How can I watch it?
In an unprecedented move, the fight will air live on DAZN, Sky Sports and TNT Sports in the UK. The event will be on pay-per-view on each platform, with DAZN also broadcasting the fight card worldwide.
TNT has not yet announced its pricing, while Sky Sports has priced the fight card at £24.95, and DAZN has it listed at £24.99 for new subscribers (who will also receive a free month’s subscription for that fee) and £23.99 for existing customers. Purchase a subscription to DAZN here, with plans starting at £9.99 a month.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.
What are the odds?
Fury – 10/11
Usyk – 10/11
Draw – 16/1
Via Betway. Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers.
How much are the fighters earning?
Reports suggest that Fury is contracted to earn around 70 per cent of a total purse thought to be worth around $150m (£116m), with a clause stating Fury must donate £1m of his earnings to Ukraine amid its ongoing war against Russia.
While the final figure will not be known until after the fight, Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum has claimed that his fighter will earn more than $100m (£78m) from the showdown.
“If you told Tyson Fury he’s set to make $100m, he’d really get p***ed off because he thinks, and I think he’s right, that he’s going to make a lot more,” said Arum. “I don’t know the number, but it’s a lot more than $100m.”
Full card (subject to change)
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk (IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles)
Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis (vacant IBF cruiserweight title)
Joe Cordina (C) vs Anthony Cacace (IBF super-featherweight title)
Agit Kabayel vs Frank Sanchez (heavyweight)
Sergey Kovalev vs Robin Sirwan Safar (cruiserweight)
Mark Chamberlain vs Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab (lightweight)
Moses Itauma vs Ilja Mezencev (heavyweight)
David Nyika vs Michael Seitz (cruiserweight)
Isaac Lowe vs Hasibullah Ahmadi (featherweight)
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