Usyk’s Manager Rejects Fury’s Call For Third Fight

Oleksandr Usyk’s manager Sergey Lapin has rejected Tyson Fury’s attempt to revive a trilogy fight while talks for Fury’s proposed bout with Anthony Joshua remain stalled over the venue.

Fury said he was looking for a new opponent for November and called out Usyk after delays in finalising the long-discussed all-British heavyweight fight with Joshua. Lapin, responding through Sky Sports News, made clear that Usyk’s side is not treating Fury’s public challenge as the start of a serious negotiation.

Fury turns from Joshua to Usyk

Fury and Joshua have signed individual contracts for a fight planned for later this year, but no venue has been confirmed. The dispute centres on whether the event should take place in the UK or the United States, with Madison Square Garden in New York among the options under consideration, while Joshua and Eddie Hearn have pushed for London.

The fight has been targeted for November 20, with Sela involved as promoter and Netflix attached to the event. Joshua’s agreement is understood to include a UK requirement, while Fury’s contract does not specify the UK. Talks have also included Wembley Stadium, though any London staging would have to address logistical issues around the stadium’s curfew and a likely US broadcast window.

With those negotiations unresolved, Fury accused Joshua of avoiding the fight and turned his attention back to the only man to beat him. “This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk,” Fury said in a video posted on Instagram.

Addressing Usyk directly, Fury said: “Oleksandr you're his [Joshua's] trainer and his sensei and you know he is weak minded… and that he would never fight the Gypsy King which you have had the guts to do twice. You got the decisions last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you, let's do it again. Let's run it back in November. The ball is now in your court… do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits? Let me know because I am now looking for a new opponent.”

Lapin demands more than statements

Lapin’s reply was blunt. “Usyk is not Tyson's back-up plan,” he told Sky Sports News. “If Fury needs an opponent, he should visit the Ready to Fight platform. They can help him find a worthy opponent there. Oleksandr is always open to big challenges. But serious intentions are backed by a concrete offer, not statements in the press.”

Usyk beat Fury twice on points in 2024, first becoming undisputed heavyweight champion in May and then winning their rematch in December. The Ukrainian later vacated the three heavyweight belts he still held in June, but has not announced his retirement.

That leaves Fury’s public push for a third Usyk fight sitting alongside, rather than replacing, the unresolved Joshua negotiations. Fury and Joshua both came through warm-up fights in July that were expected to lead into their meeting, but the venue issue has again delayed a bout that has been discussed for more than a decade.

Usyk has also been linked with a future fight against former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, with talks believed to be in play for a possible 2027 meeting. Unless Fury’s side follows his challenge with a formal offer, the immediate focus remains on whether the Joshua fight can be rescued through an agreement between the promoters, broadcasters and fighters over where it will be staged.