Oleksandr Usyk’s manager Sergey Lapin has rejected Tyson Fury’s callout for a third heavyweight fight. Fury turned to Usyk after talks with Anthony Joshua stalled over venues, but Team Usyk insists serious offers require concrete contracts rather than social media rants.
Tyson Fury is running out of options, and Team Usyk isn’t falling for the trap. The Gypsy King turned his sights back to Oleksandr Usyk after negotiations for a mega-fight with Anthony Joshua hit complete deadlock over venue disputes between Wembley Stadium and Madison Square Garden.
Furious with the delays, Fury blasted Joshua in an angry rant before directly targeting Usyk. Fury stated: “Oleksandr, you’re his [Joshua’s] trainer and his sensei, and you know he is a weak-minded piece of sh– and that he would never fight the Gypsy King, which you have had the guts to do twice,”
The former WBC champion pushed hard for an immediate trilogy bout before the end of the year. Fury claimed: “Let’s run it back in November. The ball is now in your court, Oleksandr. Do you want to fight me this year, 2026, or are you calling it quits? Let me know, because I’m now looking for a new opponent.”
But Team Usyk shut down the loud callout instantly. Manager Sergey Lapin made it clear that Usyk will not act as anyone’s backup option just because another fight fell apart.
Lapin stated: “Oleksandr is always open to big challenges. But serious intentions are backed by a concrete offer, not statements in the press.”
Lapin even took a direct jab at Fury’s search for a new dance partner. Lapin added: “If Fury needs an opponent, he should visit the Ready to Fight platform. They can help him find a worthy opponent there.”
Usyk has already laid out his path to retirement. After beating Fury twice and retaining his top status, Usyk vacated his titles to focus on the final stretch of his career. Following a tough victory over kickboxing giant Rico Verhoeven, Usyk is now targeting a showdown with Deontay Wilder in the United States for early 2027.
Usyk wants to protect his clean record before hanging up the gloves. Stepping back into the ring with Fury on short notice offers far too much risk without a real contract on the table. Fury must now look elsewhere as his dream British showdown remains frozen.
