Tyson Fury has confirmed he might be able to combat Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed heavyweight championship conflict on December 23.
It is a brief turnaround for Fury, who has his first contest of 2023 on Saturday, albeit one in opposition to a combined martial artist, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
However he’s adamant he can tackle Usyk for the unified WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles on two days earlier than Christmas.
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“We have signed the contracts,” Fury advised Sky Sports activities. “December 23, that is on the market is not it? It is solely eight weeks away from Saturday. Why not?
“I’ve not even had a combat this 12 months so get two in earlier than the top of the 12 months could be incredible. Double payday,” he continued. “There will be a pleasant huge turkey within the Fury family this Christmas.
“If it occurs December 23, I will be taking part in that music, Driving Dwelling For Christmas, I will not land again within the UK until Christmas Eve, late Christmas Eve and if we get a delay I will be spending Christmas with the reindeers within the airport!”
Boxing wants to vary
The competition with Usyk has been a very long time within the making and Fury has made no secret of his frustration with the enterprise of boxing.
“You very not often get two undefeated champions combating one another and while you do it is like each 10 years,” he mentioned. “[Usually] you understand who’s going to win earlier than they’ve even fought, it is a pointless factor… I am a boxing fan. I have been a boxing fan my complete life and even I am fairly sick of it.”
He defined: “So one thing wants to vary. In UFC the most effective combat the most effective, the contenders – No 10 will combat No 11, No 4 will combat No 3 and No 1 will combat No 2.
Picture:
Tyson Fury is pissed off by how lengthy it takes the most effective to combat the most effective in boxing
“I do not assume [boxing’s] ever been like that. Generally you get the most effective combating the most effective however there’s at all times been a build-up of cannon fodder all over their careers. Like for his or her first 20 fights they did not combat anyone. That kind of behaviour. Within the UFC they do not try this. They chuck them in immediately.
“When you’re ok, you are ok and for those who’re not, go residence.
“When you’re a champion and also you’re combating a defence or anyone within the prime 10 then that is completely superb. I am on about grassroots stage. I am on about the best way it is constructed up. When a champion’s combating the No 3 ranked contender there’s nothing improper with that.”
Fury does imagine that his sport will change. “I believe it wants to vary for certain and I believe it should,” he mentioned. “There’s some huge energy strikes occurring in boxing and it is all stemming from Saudi Arabia. I believe there’s going to be an enormous change within the subsequent few months. There’s going to be an influence change in boxing and it will be for the higher.
“So one thing wants to vary and I believe we’ll see it fairly quickly.”
‘The official baddest man on the planet’
It is pure for Fury to assume that when his subsequent contest is a profitable non-title 10-round boxing contest with Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.
Ought to he beat Ngannou, he says, “I will be the baddest man on the planet. Not solely will I be the world heavyweight champion however I will develop into the official baddest man on the planet.
“Battle of the baddest, it is within the title!”
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No retirement plan
Despite the fact that Fury acknowledges he is “on the latter finish of my profession, I am 35 years previous and I am reaping within the rewards,” the reigning WBC champion isn’t planning on retiring from boxing.
He desires to maintain on combating and carry on coaching. “For a person in the midst of his life, a person who’s acquired ambition, a person who desires to do one thing, I actually do not imagine happiness exists. I believe it is a by-product of one thing else,” he mentioned.
“Does happiness actually exist for me in my life proper now or is it a by-product of me going to work each day, reaching objectives? Does that give me pleasure? Or is there such a factor as happiness?
“I do not know, for me I do not assume it exists.”
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Fury continued: “I haven’t got an exit technique as a result of past boxing I haven’t got something that I am fascinated with. You possibly can give me a trillion {dollars} at present and it would not enhance my life in any respect. It would not make any distinction in any way.
“I suppose I am only a easy man, who simply likes to do what I do which is take the youngsters to highschool, go to the health club, take the canine for a stroll, clear up and that is it, repeat.
“Groundhog Day, that is my life, residing in Morecombe Bay doing the identical issues 12 months in 12 months out. It is most likely why I am so profitable at what I do.”
Stay for at present solely
That for Tyson Fury, some of the mercurial characters on the planet {of professional} boxing, is a information to life.
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Fabio Wardley and Barry Jones debate whether or not Tyson Fury’s crossover combat with Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia is sweet for boxing
“I by no means look to the long run. That is the golden rule. The long run is unimportant to me as a result of I stay for at present solely,” he mentioned.
“I do not even stay for the following 4, 5 days upfront. I solely stay in the future at a time as a result of that is the one method I understand how. Yesterday’s historical past, tomorrow’s a thriller, at present is for residing.
“Tomorrow might be what will probably be. Tomorrow will deliver what it should deliver however as for at present, it is the one factor I am targeted on.
“When you can stay your life like that, which 99.99 per cent of individuals cannot, you’ve got you then’ve cracked it.
“That is why I’ve cracked it.”
Sky prospects can e-book Fury vs Ngannou now