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Tyson Fury has thrown the heavyweight division into chaos by claiming his long-awaited showdown with Anthony Joshua is off and that he is now pursuing a trilogy fight with Oleksandr Usyk. The “Gypsy King” took to social media on Sunday to launch a blistering tirade against his British rival, stating that Joshua lacks the courage to face him.
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Fury declared that this turn of events will inevitably lead him back to the man who handed him his only professional defeats, Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury posted a video to his Instagram Story (screen-recorded by Championship Rounds):
🚨 Tyson Fury says the Anthony Joshua fight is OFF, and calls out Oleksandr Usyk to a trilogy 😬
“AJ has shat his pants yet again. This only leads me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk… let’s do it again, let’s run it back in November.
The ball is now in your court Oleksandr. Let… pic.twitter.com/W3nyzMYsv6
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 6, 2026
The negotiations for the all-British blockbuster have been in a stalemate, primarily over the location of the bout. Fury’s camp favored a date at Madison Square Garden in New York, while Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, insisted that his fighter’s contract was for a UK bout, with Wembley Stadium being the preferred option.
The lack of a resolution has seemingly pushed Fury to his limit, and he wasted no time in calling out Usyk.
“This will only lead me to a fight with Oleksandr Usyk,” Fury stated in his social media post, directly addressing the Ukrainian champion.
In his direct call-out, Fury acknowledged Usyk’s previous victories but made it clear he is determined to seek revenge.
“You got the decisions last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you, well, let’s do it again,” Fury said, challenging Usyk to “run it back” in November of this year.
Usyk Responds
Usyk, who defeated Fury via decision in both their May and December 2024 encounters, initially responded to the challenge on his Instagram account.
View this post on Instagram
The Ukrainian, who vacated three heavyweight world titles in June after beating Rico Verhoeven via controversial TKO, sent a message directly to Fury, stating, “Hey Tyson. I’m coming for you, my brother. You greedy belly!”
Usyk has not officially indicated he plans to retire, leaving the door open for another massive clash.
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Fury responded again through his Instagram Story (screen-recorded by Happy Punch on X):
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk both just agreed to a third fight 😅
🗣️ Usyk: “Still thinking about me? Hey Tyson, I’m coming for you. You’re greedy belly.”
🗣️ Fury: “Let’s do the trilogy. Two real men who will fight. I’m sick to death of sh*thouses.” pic.twitter.com/E5P9F8VdPr
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) September 8, 2026
“You’re still a rabbit, and I’m a greedy belly. But at the end of the day, you’re a fighting man, and I respect that,” he stated in his response to Usyk.
“I am sick to death of sh— houses making a million demands, making a million promises and delivering absolutely nothing,” he said, likely referring to Joshua and Hearn.
Usyk’s Management Disagrees
However, a significant roadblock emerged almost immediately from Usyk’s management team. In a statement to Sky Sports News, Usyk’s manager Sergey Lapin emphasized that for the Ukrainian to take Fury seriously, he would require a concrete offer.
“Oleksandr is always open to big challenges. But serious intentions are backed by a concrete offer, not statements in the press,” Lapin stated.
Lapin firmly rejected the notion that Usyk would serve as a replacement for the fighter Fury has been chasing for years.
“Usyk is not Tyson’s back-up plan,” he insisted.
This firm stance from the Usyk camp has cast immediate doubt on the viability of the trilogy fight Fury is so eagerly promoting.
The seeming collapse of the Fury-Joshua fight is a massive disappointment for British boxing fans, who have been anticipating the battle of the former champions for years.
For the moment, the heavyweight picture remains murky and uncertain. Fury has claimed he wants Usyk in November, but the Ukrainian’s camp has essentially called his bluff, demanding to see a real contract first.
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This story was originally published September 9, 2026 at 12:12 AM.