Clash of the Titans: Grand Arrivals Set Stage for Epic Heavyweight Showdown

Fury-Usyk & and a LOADED undercard will be broadcast live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT

Heavyweight Boxing History Looms in Saudi Arabia

The long-awaited undisputed heavyweight championship fight between lineal/WBC champion Tyson Fury and unified WBA/IBF/WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk takes place this Saturday, April 29th at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The winner will become the first undisputed heavyweight king since Lennox Lewis reigned in 1999.

At Tuesday’s grand arrivals event in Riyadh, the two undefeated combatants made their dramatic entrances, heightening anticipation for this elite heavyweight showdown years in the making. Fury has held the lineal title for nearly a decade, last defending against Francis Ngannou in October 2022. Usyk survived a war with Daniel Dubois in August 2022 to set up this multi-belt unification.

The Fury vs Usyk pay-per-view will air in the U.S. on ESPN+ beginning at 9am PT/12pm ET on Saturday. The undercard features two major world title fights as well.

In the co-main event, cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia (24-0, 19 KOs) rematches Mairis Briedis (28-2, 20 KOs) with Opetaia’s Ring Magazine and the vacant IBF cruiserweight titles on the line. Wales’ Joe Cordina (17-0, 9 KOs) also defends his IBF junior lightweight strap against Belfast’s Anthony Cacace (21-1, 7 KOs).

At the grand arrivals, the fighters gave their final comments previewing this historic heavyweight battle:

Tyson Fury: “It feels fantastic to be here in Saudi Arabia. I’m ready to put on a great show Saturday night…It’s going to be epic. Every fight has been so important leading to this destiny moment against Usyk…I predict somebody’s 0 has to go, and unfortunately for his team, it will be Usyk’s.”

Oleksandr Usyk: “I feel good, I’m very happy for this opportunity to become undisputed champion again. It’s special and important for my country…I have a great game plan ready.”

Bob Arum: “We rarely see undisputed heavyweight championship fights, they’re as rare as blue moons. But on Saturday the Baddest Man on the Planet will be crowned. It means everything in boxing.”

Saturday, May 18

Top Rank on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View (12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT) 

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, 12 rounds, Undisputed Heavyweight World Title
 
Jai Opetaia vs. Mairis Briedis 2, 12 rounds, Vacant IBF and Opetaia’s Ring Magazine Cruiserweight World Titles

Joe Cordina vs. Anthony Cacace, 12 rounds, Cordina’s IBF Junior Lightweight World Title

Frank Sanchez vs. Agit Kabayel, 12 rounds, WBC Heavyweight Title Eliminator

Moses Itauma vs. Ilja Mezencev, 10 rounds, Vacant WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title

Mark Chamberlain vs. Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab, 12 rounds, Vacant WBC Silver Lightweight Title

Sergey Kovalev vs. Robin Sirwan Safar, 10 rounds, Cruiserweight

Daniel Lapin vs. Octavio Pudivtr, 10 rounds, Vacant WBA Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Title 

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