According to Usik’s promoter, Alex Krasiuk, in two weeks his ward may meet in Riyadh with Croatian Filip Hrgovic, who is a mandatory challenger for the Ukrainian’s IBF world title.
“Will Usik fight on the 17th? We are working on it, and in the next couple of days we will make a final decision,” the Independent quoted Krasiuk as saying. “Actually, there is only one option, because the IBF sanctioned the fight for the title of absolute world champion on the condition that after it the champion will hold a mandatory defense against Hrgovic. This means that if the champion fights someone else, the IBF will strip him of the belt”
In addition to the IBF title, Oleksandr Usik holds the WBA, WBO and IBO championship belts, while Tyson Fury is the current WBC heavyweight boxing world champion.
On the eve it became known that the British boxer received a severe dissection above his right eye during sparring, and dropped out of the fight. Team “Gypsy King” hopes that the unification fight with Usik will be postponed to April or May.