Tyson Fury has stated he is seeking a different opponent for his November bout, directly challenging Oleksandr Usyk even though he remains under contract to face Anthony Joshua.
The long-awaited British heavyweight clash is currently being targeted for November. Both fighters have executed individual contracts with Saudi Arabian promoter Sela for the event.
However, an official announcement has been delayed over disagreements regarding the venue. Organisers associated with Sela and Netflix are believed to prefer New York’s Madison Square Garden, while Joshua’s contract requires the fight to occur in the United Kingdom.
In a video posted to Instagram, Fury alleged that Joshua was attempting to withdraw from the contest. He then shifted his focus to Usyk, who serves as Joshua’s trainer and mentor.
“This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk,” Fury said in the recording. He referred to Usyk as Joshua’s trainer and called him a sensei before questioning Joshua’s mental strength, claiming the champion would never face the Gypsy King despite having the courage to fight Usyk twice previously.
Fury acknowledged that Usyk earned decisions in their earlier encounters but invited a rematch. “Good luck to you, let’s do it again. Let’s run it back in November,” he said. “The ball is now in your court… do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling quits?”
Fury has lost both of his previous fights against Usyk, and the Ukrainian is now part of Joshua’s training camp.
Meanwhile, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has publicly urged promoters to host the event at Wembley Stadium. His office has contacted Sela in recent weeks about staging the bout at the national stadium.
Khan told BBC Sport: “We want to host it in London. Talk to us, we’re really keen to have it.” He added that the fight could attract 100,000 live spectators and draw millions of viewers worldwide.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had previously indicated that discussions about a UK venue had reopened following the mayor’s intervention. An earlier hope for an announcement within the coming week now appears unlikely given the ongoing disputes.
A Wembley event might need to take place in the early morning hours to maximise television audiences in the United States, a proposal the mayor’s office has backed.
It remains unclear whether Fury will proceed with the Joshua fight or pivot to a Usyk rematch if the venue deadlock is not resolved soon.
Another month delay because of venues? This pay-per-view business is killing the sport. Where is the urgency?
Madison Square Garden vs Wembley… let’s keep it at home. 100k fans at Wembley would break records.
Why is Fury chasing a ghost? Usyk is gone. If Joshua flakes, Fury looks even weaker. Just sign the deal.
Wembley would be epic. Sadiq Khan is absolutely right to push for this. The atmosphere would be unbelievable.
Fury is playing mind games! Usyk retired, not hiding. Fury needs to just fight Joshua or retire.