Oleksandr Usyk has been issued a brief suspension following his intense victory over Tyson Fury.
In their undisputed bout, Usyk nearly floored Fury in the ninth round, with only the ropes keeping the Brit upright. The referee intervened to count, and despite recovering to hear the final bell, Fury suffered his first career loss by split decision in Saudi Arabia.
After the fight, Usyk was taken to hospital for a check-up and was given the all-clear, even though Fury claimed he had fractured his opponent’s jaw.
The British Boxing Board of Control suspended Usyk until June 2 due to his injuries sustained from Fury. No such suspension is noted on 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 initially postponed from December to February and then to May, reports the Mirror.
“I don’t want to think about boxing now,” said Usyk, who attended the post-fight press conference with his daughter Yelizaveta’s Eeyore cuddly toy. “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 holidays. I was only focused on this fight. Now I’m happy and I want to go back home.”
Usyk’s reign as the undisputed champion is set to be short-lived, with the IBF preparing to strip him of their title due to his contractual obligations for a rematch with Fury in October, which prevents him from facing mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic.