Tyson Fury’s plans to combat Oleksandr Usyk have been thrown into disarray after Filip Hrgovic’s staff introduced that he’ll problem the Ukrainian subsequent.
Fury had hoped to finalise an undisputed world heavyweight title combat early in 2023, however the IBF have ordered Usyk to make a compulsory title defence towards Hrgovic, in keeping with the Croatian’s promoter Kalle Sauerland.
Hrgovic climbed off the canvas to defeat Zhilei Zhang on factors in a ultimate IBF title eliminator on the undercard of Usyk’s rematch win over Anthony Joshua in August.
Unified champion Oleksandr Usyk holds the IBF, WBA and WBO belts
Sauerland tweeted: “CONFIRMED: El Animal @Filip_Hrgovic is subsequent for @usykaa for the Heavyweight Championship – by official order of the @IBFUSBAboxing. Let’s get the present on the highway.”
Usyk confirmed this month that he was holding talks about defending his WBA, IBF and WBO titles towards WBC champion Fury.
The British star is at the moment getting ready for a WBC title defence towards Derek Chisora on December 3.
Usyk has expressed his want to face Fury
“Proper now my staff is searching for conversations with Tyson Fury, and he’s actually an unpredictable individual, so we will not assure when,” Usyk had stated.
“For me, the concept can be to combat possibly early February or the start of March, like March 4, as a result of I’m an orthodox Christian.
“Through the nice fasting earlier than Easter I don’t combat, so it must be all earlier than or then after orthodox Easter (April 16).
“I need to combat with Fury as a result of I want the fourth belt, and I do not need to combat with anybody else till I’ve the fourth belt.”
Fury’s US promoter, Bob Arum, had additionally informed Sky Sports activities that he supposed to succeed in an settlement for an Usyk combat.
