Oleksandr Usyk has named his price for a third fight with Tyson Fury, and it isn’t cheap. The unified heavyweight champion told The Stomping Ground in London that “Greedy Belly” will need to back up his talk with a nine-zero payday.
Listen. Greedy belly. Give me billion dollars. You take trilogy,” Usyk said.
The number is a direct shot at Fury’s own history of floating massive purse demands for big fights. Usyk delivered it with a smile, but the message landed: if Fury wants a third crack, he can fund it himself.
Usyk Unbothered by the “Blown-Up Cruiserweight” Talk
Fury’s camp has leaned on the “blown-up cruiserweight” line throughout both fight weeks. Usyk, now 24-0 with 15 knockouts and holding The Ring, WBC, WBA, and IBF titles, doesn’t appear to be losing sleep over it.
Maybe I don’t know. Listen, it’s now it’s my opponent, but I not feel bad. Okay. Listen, I happy,” Usyk said.
The composure tracks with how he’s handled every round of Fury-camp shots, before, during, and after their two fights in Riyadh.
Backing Anthony Joshua to Beat “Greedy Belly”
The warmth Usyk showed toward Anthony Joshua, a man he’s also beaten twice, was the other headline. Joshua has been training alongside Usyk in camp, and the Ukrainian sees a future undisputed champion in him.
AJ, it’s a future undisputed champion. My Bratton, you know Bratton? Bro, your brother, your bro.
Asked directly who wins if Joshua and Fury finally share a ring, Usyk didn’t hedge.
I don’t know who wins the fight. AJ. Really? Yes, of course. AJ win.
The endorsement carries weight. Eddie Hearn has already confirmed a two-fight deal on the table for Joshua that includes a July warmup and Fury in November.
On Fury vs. Makhmudov
Fury returned from a 16-month layoff on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, taking a wide unanimous decision over Arslanbek Makhmudov on scores of 120-108, 120-108, and 119-109. Usyk watched the same fight most fans did, one where the finish never came.
Tyson win. It’s a good. Listen, it’s win. It’s not lost. But maybe a lot of people want to do Tyson knock him out. I’m too.
Fury used his post-fight mic time to call out Joshua for a Battle of Britain later this year. Joshua refused to step in the ring for the face-off and stared him down instead.
Style Points
The interview opened with Usyk getting a compliment on his outfit. The reply was pure Usyk.
Stone Island, it’s a style.
Usyk, 39, returns to the ring on May 23 in Egypt to defend his WBC title against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza. Anything with Fury, if it ever materializes, waits until after that.
