Heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk banned after Tyson-Fury fight

Oleksandr Usyk was briefly suspended following his intense win over Tyson Fury.

In their undisputed fight, Usyk almost knocked Fury down in the ninth round, with only the ropes keeping the Brit upright. The referee intervened to count and although Fury recovered to hear the final bell, he suffered his first career defeat by a split decision in Saudi Arabia.

After the fight, Usyk was taken to hospital for examination and was given the all-clear, although Fury claimed he had broken his opponent’s jaw.

The British Boxing Board of Control suspended Usyk until June 2nd due to his injuries sustained at the hands of Fury. There is no such suspension noted in Fury’s record.

The suspension will not affect Usyk’s career as the Ukrainian boxer is ready for a break after a nine-month training camp. His fight with Fury was first postponed from December to February and then to May, the Mirror reports.

“I don’t want to think about boxing right now,” said Usyk, who attended the post-fight press conference with his daughter Yelizaveta’s Eeyore stuffed animal. “My camp started in September 2023 and I worked for nine months.

“I missed Happy New Year, I missed my son’s birthday, I missed my other son’s birthday, I missed my daughter’s birthday and then the birth of my daughter. I also missed family vacations. I was just focused on this fight. Now I’m happy and I want to go home again.”

Usyk’s reign as undisputed champion is likely to be short-lived as the IBF prepares to strip him of the title as he has contractual obligations for a rematch with Fury in October, preventing him from facing mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic.