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Oleksandr Usyk will fight in July or August 2025 to defend his unified heavyweight title. He beat former WBC champion Tyson Fury by a 12-round unanimous decision in their rematch on Saturday night in Riyadh.
The fight was easier for Usyk than his previous match due to the fact that Fury chose to move up to 281 pounds and was too heavy to do much of anything in the fight.
Tyson looked inside bad physical shape as if he had made a symbolic effort in the training camp preparing for the rematch. It was embarrassing to watch, and it must have been disappointing for his fans. You could tell by looking at Fury’s midsection that he had eaten well during camp.
Usyk’s trainer Egis Klimas told Boxingscene that Oleksander (23-0, 14 KOs) will rest until next summer. No word on who Usyk might face. These interesting options for Usyk to make a voluntary defense:
– Agit Kabayel
– Moises Itauma
– Fabio Wardley
– Martin Bakole
British fans are talking it will hurt following his victory over officer Demsey McKean on Saturday night. If Itauma’s promoter believes in him, he should test his faith by pitting him against Usyk while he’s still in the game. If they wait, Usyk will retire and Itauma will be stuck fighting no names.
The timing could mean a unification match against IBF champion Daniel Dubois is not an option for Usyk’s next fight. Dubois will defend his belt against Joseph Parker on February 22, and it would be a quick turnaround for him to return to camp to begin training for a match against Usyk in July or August.
Dubois, 27, is young enough to make a quick return to the ring, but he won’t be in his prime as he will need time to prepare for Usyk’s style. You can’t do that with a short session during training camp.
If Dubois rushes into the fight against the talented Ukrainian, he could live to regret it and suffer another knockout loss like in his first fight last year on August 26 in Wroclaw, Poland. Usyk boxed Dubois for eight rounds and then dumped him in the ninth round to knock out the tired giant.
Like the first, it wasn’t a punishing fight for Usyk, as he outplayed Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs), taking advantage of his limited mobility to work him over with combinations.
It showed that the Gypsy King has lost a lot of his game over the past four years, worn down by his three fights against ‘The Bronze Bomber’ Deontay Wilder.