Heavyweight champion Fury eyes bout in Australia
British heavyweight champion Tyson Fury says he is seriously exploring the possibility of a fight in Australia.
The unbeaten Fury is currently in the country to support close friend and former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker in his bout against Faiga Opelu on Wednesday.
“I’m looking to fight here so I’ll be going up and down the country looking at different stadiums over the next few days,” Fury told Fox Sports television.
“I’m 100 percent serious.”
Fury, 34, who has a record of 33 wins in 34 fights with one draw, is visiting Australia for the first time.
Fury has not fought since retaining his World Boxing Council title with a decisive stoppage against British rival Derek Chisora in December, with nothing else lined up yet.
There have been talks with Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.
“I’m looking to fight big fights this year and next year,” Fury said in Melbourne, adding that talks with the Ukrainian Usyk are ongoing.
“We have an undoubted fight on the horizon for all the belts against Oleksandr Usyk,” he told Fox Sports.
“That’s been in talks now for over a year. There are other big fights as well, so we’re working on some opportunities right now.”
One of them could be against China’s Zhang Zhilei or fellow Briton Joe Joyce if Usyk fails to deliver.
Zhang upset Joyce with a sixth-round stoppage in London in April, taking his interim WBO title and forcing him to face the sanctioning body’s full champion, Usyk.
Joyce has activated his rematch clause and Fury is eyeing a potential clash against the winner.
“We were supposed to talk about fighting Zhang but Joe Joyce has activated his rematch clause so now they both have a rematch and the winner might get a chance to fight me further forward,” he said.
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