Tyson Fury hints Anthony Joshua fight is off, calls for Oleksandr Usyk trilogy bout

Tyson Fury appears to have given up on his proposed showdown with Anthony Joshua, with the former heavyweight champion now turning his attention towards a potential third meeting with Oleksandr Usyk in November.

A lucrative all-British contest between Fury and Joshua had been in the works for months, but discussions have failed to produce a confirmed venue or date. Unresolved financial issues have also continued to hold up an agreement.

Fury launched a furious attack on Joshua in an expletive-filled Instagram video on Sunday night, holding his domestic rival responsible for the stalled negotiations. The 36-year-old described Joshua as “weak-minded” and questioned whether he was willing to go through with the fight.

“This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk,” Fury said.

Instead, Fury called for another shot at Usyk, who recently vacated his three heavyweight world titles. The unbeaten Ukrainian had indicated in June that he was looking for one final fight before bringing his career to an end.

“You got the decisions last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you, well, let’s do it again. Let’s run it back in November. The ball is now in your court, Oleksandr,” Fury added. “Do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling quits? Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent.”

Usyk boasts a perfect 25-0 record and twice defeated Fury in their previous meetings. He ended a 24-year wait for an undisputed heavyweight champion when he beat the Briton on points in May 2024, before securing another decision victory in their rematch seven months later.

Both Fury and Joshua returned to the ring in July for fights that were expected to set up their long-awaited British blockbuster. While Fury came through his outing, Joshua endured a scare after being dropped twice by Kristian Prenga.

Usyk has also been back in action since his second victory over Fury, although he was not at his dominant best against Rico Verhoeven. The Ukrainian eventually stopped the Dutch kickboxing star, who was competing in only his second professional boxing bout, in May.

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