Oleksandr Usyk challenges Tyson Fury to unification fight after beating Joshua

After defeating Anthony Joshua for the second time, Oleksandr Usyk has thrown down the challenge to Britain’s Tyson Fury to come out of retirement and fight him for the undisputed world heavyweight boxing title.

[{"selector":"#anim-c28194fb-c338-4012-beaf-3cc094501506 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(33.12499989760315%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d69d974c-013b-4842-9c47-e2b0b8da2525","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(104.23281%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2dad0dcc-4588-4403-a82d-0c06af8aa3e1","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

The Ukrainian made clear he was only interested in fighting Fury after outpointing Joshua again to retain the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

[{"selector":"#anim-df242d92-32b3-4832-8ae4-3eacf55a6e0b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(33.12499989760315%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-546854f7-40e5-4dda-a6d7-8da3b5a55be9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(104.23281%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-48027ad5-c96d-47a5-80a5-ba107da9f30a","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Fury, the WBC champion, announced in April he had promised his wife he would retire but had also declared a long-standing interest in fighting Joshua.

[{"selector":"#anim-51e1ae1e-0beb-4b4e-a956-e815bfac570f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(33.12499989760315%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-02d21201-f4aa-490d-825d-e130388fc97d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(104.23281%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8940c663-5d72-4b4c-9b61-32c9fe8da84f","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

His promoter, Frank Warren, said this month that Fury was showing signs of “itchy feet” and was keen to get back into the ring.

[{"selector":"#anim-6d5a5b32-a544-40af-90a7-abf8ceeb9429 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(33.12499989760315%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0b7011fa-bd61-474d-aa60-70dadc9e8fa1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(104.23281%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec5f339e-0799-4437-b8ec-2c506745413d","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

“I’m sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet,” Usyk told the crowd through a ringside interpreter when asked about a potential clash.

[{"selector":"#anim-bb7ab2e0-dddf-4bc8-b165-d955795a0b83 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(33.12499989760315%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-973e370a-094e-4fa4-93d2-9bf60a4511e2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(104.23281%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-76361503-466c-4c78-a254-77881073b697","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

“I am convinced he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. And if I’m not fighting Tyson Fury, I’m not fighting at all.”

[{"selector":"#anim-ce500f9a-cb2f-40a1-83f7-b9e97dde5c52 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(33.12499989760315%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8db23186-ffa3-45f8-a0de-32a6036d268f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(104.23281%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e06a00e-beed-48d1-9194-2effd251763a","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

After Usyk’s victory, Fury posted an expletive-laden reaction video on Twitter.

[{"selector":"#anim-65f9c470-a53b-4148-b859-ac05668ed3d8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(33.12499989760315%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b0becb93-4b64-46e2-80f0-cb872dc8b7e2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(104.23281%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cd72e222-8247-4d1f-91df-58620adba012","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

“It was one of the worst heavyweight title fights I have ever seen,” he said. “I would annihilate both of them on the same night.”

[{"selector":"#anim-8214c85b-8c3e-40f8-9cbb-23d6670d87d5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(33.12499989760315%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-30bb9c8d-8219-4480-8620-d4fc86a10375","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(104.23281%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-877901d8-3533-4347-bb69-0ca29ea3bbf8","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]