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Boxing

Oleksandr Usyk picks ideal time and venue for Tyson Fury title fight

Alexander Netherton
Oleksandr Usyk picks ideal time and venue for Tyson Fury title fightMatchroom

Oleksandr Usyk has revealed when and where he wants to fight Tyson Fury.

The two heavyweights share the four major belts between them, with Usyk the IBF, WBA and WBO champion, and Fury the WBC belt holder.

Usyk last fought to defend his three belts against Anthony Joshua in their rematch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia earlier this year, while Fury is preparing for a December trilogy clash against Derek Chisora.

Most eyes are already on next year when many hope to see the Ukrainian and Briton meet to secure the undisputed status for the division.

As an Orthodox Christian, Usyk is aiming to tie up a clash before March 4 otherwise there will be a further delay.

"Right now my team is seeking conversations with Tyson Fury, and he is really an unpredictable person, so we can't guarantee when," he told the Web Summit in Lisbon.

"For me, the idea would be to fight maybe early February or the beginning of March, like March 4, because I am an orthodox Christian.

"During the great fasting before Easter I do not fight, so it should be all before or then after orthodox Easter.

"I want to fight with Fury because I need the fourth belt, and I don't want to fight with anyone else until I have the fourth belt."

The 35-year-old also said he would like to fight in Ukraine but it might not be financially the most rewarding option.

He explained: "The organisers are trying to figure out where they can earn more money. For me, yes, I would really like to fight in Ukraine. The country is really capable of hosting this kind of fight.

"I would be really happy to see it happen in the Olympic Arena in Ukraine. But it is not me who chooses the venue, so I guess it will be Saudi Arabia."

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