Earlier this month, it was reported that a possible bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tony Bellew was being targeted.
Well, that fight is one step closer to coming to fruition after weeks of negotiations. Usyk’s manager, Egis Klimas, told ESPN that the undisputed cruiserweight world champion is close to striking a deal with Tony Bellew for a title fight in November. Klimas added that the fight would take place on Bellew’s U.K. soil.
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Usyk (15-0, 11 KOs) is fresh off of scoring a unanimous decision victory over Murat Gassiev this past July, making him the unified cruiserweight champ. The loss was costly for Gassiev, considering he’ll be sidelined for several months as a result of ongoing recovery from multiple surgeries after that bout, according to ESPN.
Meanwhile, Bellew (30-2-1, 20 KOs) landed a fifth-round TKO against David Haye in May in a rematch from their March 2017 bout, in which Bellew also won by TKO (11th round).
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Earlier this month, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn credited the 35-year-old Bellew for still being hungry enough to want a big fight against the likes of the 31-year-old, undefeated Usyk.
“I take my hat off to Tony Bellew,” Hearn told Sporting News at the time. “He doesn’t need to fight anymore. But he wants it. He wants to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion. It’s the biggest fight in the division by a mile.”
And now, it’s on the brink of being confirmed.
