Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk were all set to face each other on February 17 in Riyadh. However, the bout has now been postponed after ‘The Gypsy King’ suffered a cut in training. The much-awaited heavyweight clash will now occur on May 18 in Saudi Arabia. While the fight has been rescheduled, there is a fine clause of $10 million for both fighters in case either of them pulls out. An ex-UFC champion, meanwhile, deems this caution unwarranted.
Former middleweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping recently took to YouTube to share his opinion on the fine imposed against both fighters. Let us delve into the details to determine what ‘The Count’ feels about the whole ordeal.
Michael Bisping feels Oleksandr Usyk doesn’t deserve a penalty
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Oleksandr Usyk currently holds a plethora of titles, which include the WBO, WBA, and IBF titles. On the other hand, Tyson Fury is the current WBC champion and has won 34- fights since turning professional in 2018. The winner of the fight will earn the undisputed world heavyweight crown. While Fury pulled out of the fight at the very last minute because of unfortunate reasons, former UFC champion Michael Bisping feels that the fine imposed on Usyk is a bit uncalled for.
In the video, Bisping said, “If either of them can’t make it on the night, they have to pay a $10 million forfeit. Now that’s all well and good, that’s great. I like that. Obviously, it shows both men are eager to make this fight happen. They want to cement their legacy as the best boxer of their generation and collect all the belts. It’s a little unfair for Oleksandr Usyk because he hasn’t pulled out, okay?”
He continued, “The reality is Tyson did pull out. Legitimate pull out. Unfortunate, unplanned, wasn’t his fault. It was an accident, but it was him that pulled out. So now if Usyk [pulls out], because he might get cut in training, there’s a potential $10 million penalty there for him. But he hasn’t done anything. So if he accidentally gets cut, that a $10 million cut for him.”
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While Fury and Usyk are waiting to lock horns against each other on May 18th, there’s another heavyweight clash on the lines scheduled which features former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. ‘ The Predator’ will feature in his second professional fight against Anthony Joshua on March 8th. While the former UFC champion is training for his fight, he took out time to mock his former opponent in a recent X post.
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Francis Ngannou mocks Tyson Fury for pulling out from the fight
Francis Ngannou recently took to his X account to mock the current WBC champion after the latter pulled out from the fight. The 37-year-old made his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury in October last year after walking out from the UFC. While many doubted the former UFC heavyweight champion’s ability. Ngannou shocked everyone with his performance against an experienced fighter like Fury.
While Ngannou lost the fight, he is still trying to get under the nerves of the WBC champion. In his recent X post the Cameroonian-French fighter posted: ” So me and Joshua for the undisputed title March 8?”. Ngannou’s next opponent, Joshua 34, is on a mission and will look to keep his winning momentum going.
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‘AJ’ is the former heavyweight champion who lost his title to Usyk at the beginning of 2023. With Fury and Usyk rescheduled for May 18th and Ngannou-Joshua happening in March, it will be interesting to see how the heavyweight landscape shifts in the coming months. Who will win these upcoming fights? Let us know in the comments below.
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