Oleksandr Usyk has ramped up the mind games with Tyson Fury by branding his heavyweight rival ‘Belly’ ahead of their proposed undisputed mega-fight.
Usyk, who holds three of the division’s four recognised titles, is edging closer towards a clash with WBC champion Fury, which would crown the first undisputed heavyweight king in over two decades.
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren revealed this week that a draft contract has been sent to the Ukrainian’s team, with early March being targeted as a potential date and Saudi Arabia reportedly leading the race to stage it.
Oleksandr Usyk has ramped up the mind games with Tyson Fury by branding his rival ‘Belly’
Usyk is on the verge of agreeing to an undisputed heavyweight showdown with Fury next
And as they close in on a historic battle for all of the heavyweight marbles, Usyk has taunted Fury by mocking his physique in a post on Twitter this week.
Along with a photo of himself looking lean in swimming gear, Usyk wrote on Tuesday: ‘The Middleweight is here! Where are you Belly? @Tyson_Fury’.
Usyk was sarcastically referencing Fury’s common jibe that he is a ‘pumped up middleweight’, despite winning a heavyweight gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London and starting his professional career as a cruiserweight.
Fury said when calling out the 35-year-old back in September: ‘I’m a seven-foot, 20 stone behemoth and I will destroy you, middleweight. Find your balls and come see me, b***h.’
Fury and Usyk came face to face after the former’s victory over Dereck Chisora last month
The two heavyweight champions famously came face to face after Fury’s win over Dereck Chisora at Wembley last month, which saw him successfully defend his WBC title with a 10th-round stoppage over his old foe.
After the bout Usyk approached the ring to confront Fury, who shouted at his future opponent: ‘You ugly little man. Lets get it on b****. You may laugh now but I’ll end this lil sucker. I’ll end you. You little sucker. What are you gonna do? You’re gonna do f*** all you little sausage.’
Fury and Usyk are now on the verge of sealing their undisputed battle after the former’s team sent over a draft contract, though Warren insists it needs to be signed off ‘very, very quickly’.
‘We’ve sent them a draft contract, that’s where we’re at,’ the Queensberry chief said on talkSPORT.
Fury successfully defended his WBC title that night after stopping Chisora in the 10th round
He is now poised to meet Usyk, who holds the three other recognised heavyweight titles
‘Listen, it’s gotta be sorted out very, very quickly now because the time is against us.’
While a venue is yet to be decided, Warren went on to reveal the most lucrative option would be pursued, with Saudi Arabia believed to be frontrunners.
When asked where the bout could take place, the Queensberry chief continued: ‘Wherever the most money comes from. Nothing’s in place from anywhere outside the UK.
‘We know what it can generate in the UK, but if it goes elsewhere then that depends on what the numbers are.
‘I know a lot of people complain about it and I agree it should be at Wembley, I’d love to see it there.
‘But Muhammad Ali and George Foreman went and fought in Zaire, then you had the the Thrilla in Manila, you had the big fights in Jamaica.
‘They went where the money was and these guys will do the same thing.’
