Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk  – Date, UK Start Time, Undercard And Odds

Parimatch UK Editorial Team |

14/05/24
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May 18 will finally see the mouthwatering heavyweight undisputed bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk go ahead at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia. The fight between the two undefeated boxers was originally planned to take place on February 17, but Fury was forced to pull out after sustaining an injury in sparring. The rescheduled May 18 date was quickly brought into play by Turki Alalshikh, the man behind the Saudi Arabian-backed boxing events, so the duo will get the chance to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, which will be the first time this title has been competed for since Lennox Lewis fought and defeated Evander Holyfield in 1999. 

One of the aims of Alalshikh and the Saudis when putting together boxing events, all of which have been fantastic so far, is for the undercard to be stacked with great fights and for the main event not to begin too late for UK viewers. The Fury vs Usyk undercard is packed full of excellent fights, which will make for a great afternoon into the evening of boxing to watch on television. It’s expected that the ringwalk for the highly anticipated main event will take place between 2230 and 2300 UK time, which is in line with what you’d expect to see when watching UK-based boxing shows. 

Tyson Fury’s Next Fight: Fury vs Usyk Date And Start Time

The May 18 clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is undoubtedly the biggest fight in boxing right now, largely due to the undisputed status, with the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles all on the line. The winner of the fight out in Riyadh takes away all the belts and becomes the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. With a start time expected of around 2300 UK time, it means by roughly 2345, the undisputed king will be known. 

Nobody will be looking beyond the undisputed fight, least of all Fury and Usyk themselves, but many experts, pundits, and fans alike are asking who Tyson Fury is fighting next. And when is Tyson Fury’s next fight? And the short answer to these questions is that the next Tyson Fury fight will be against Oleksandr Usyk because there’s a rematch clause, so it’s essentially a two-fight deal. The second bout between the pair is likely to take place later in the year, around mid-October. However, there’s some belief that if Fury is successful in the first fight with Usyk, it will pave the way for a mega fight with fellow Brit Anthony Joshua, with step-aside money likely to be tabled for Usyk. But this hasn’t been confirmed. 

Fury vs Usyk Undercard

Turki Alalshikh and the Saudis don’t do things by halves, and they’ve once again delivered a stacked boxing card instead of just a great main event. The following fights will take place on the Fury vs Usyk undercard on May 18 in Riyadh: 

  • Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis for the IBF World Cruiserweight Title 
  • Joe Cordina vs Anthony Cacace for the IBF & IBO World Super Featherweight Titles 
  • Agit Kabayel vs Frank Sanchez 
  • Mark Chamberlain vs Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab for the WBC Silver Lightweight Title 
  • Sergey Kovalev vs Robin Sirwan Safar 
  • Isaac Lowe vs Hasibullah Ahmadi 
  • Moses Itauma vs Ilja Mezencev for the WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title 
  • Daniel Lapin vs Octavio Pudivitr for the WBA Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Title 
  • David Nyika vs Michael Seitz 

The undercard bouts are set to get underway at around 1430 UK time, running right through to the main event of Fury vs Usyk at approximately 2230-2300. 

What Do The Odds Say?

The boxing odds, at the time of writing, make Tyson Fury the slight favourite heading into the undisputed fight. This is primarily because of Fury’s size, being the naturally bigger man, his reach, and what he’s proven as a heavyweight over the years. However, Fury’s under par performance against Francis Ngannou, who was making his debut as a professional boxer after a career as an MMA fighter, did see Usyk odds shorten. Fury is currently 4/5 to win, while an Usyk victory is available at evens, and the draw is 14/1, with all odds subject to change. 

As far as the odds and undercard are concerned, they’re precisely as you’d expect. While there are some great fights and some that will be hotly contested, such as Opetaia vs Briedis, the fighters you’d expect to win are the ones the bookmakers also expect to win, and the odds reflect this. 

What Is The Prize Money?

In reality, both Fury and Usyk know roughly what they will take home from their upcoming undisputed fight. The former commands 70% of the purse, which is said to be in the region of £116 million, meaning he will walk away with just over £81 million. Usyk will collect 30% of the purse. But both men know that the bigger prize that is up for grabs is being the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. And it’s a status that won’t be held for long, making it an even more important prize to win. 

The prize money will likely change per the split percentage in the rematch, depending on who won the first fight. But, the rematch won’t see all belts on the line, as titles such as the IBF Heavyweight World Title will most likely be vacated as a defence of the belt wouldn’t be possible in the allotted timeframe. So, for Fury in particular, the biggest prize money he could earn could be from fighting Anthony Joshua, which would generate more income than the undisputed bout, but he’s got to find a way past Usyk first.