WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury 32-0-1 (23) will make the second defence of his world title against gatekeeper Derek Chisora 33-12 (23) on December 3.
The 34-year-old Fury was expected to face former unified champion Anthony Joshua 24-3 (22) on the date but as negotiations dragged on Fury pulled the pin on the fight.
The original plan was to match Fury with WBA, WBO and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk 20-0 (13), who dethroned Joshua in September last year and retained the titles in their rematch in August, both times on points.
Ukrainian southpaw Usyk announced he would not be ready to fight until early next year.
The fight between Fury and Chisora will be the third time they has clashed after previously meeting in 2001 and 2014. Their first fight was won by Fury on points while the second bout ended in the 10th when Chisora retired on his stool.
Chisora is currently ranked number 14 by the WBC.
Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren confirmed the trilogy bout today.
“It went on for three or four weeks and we struggled to get an opponent,” the Queensberry Promotions boss told iFL TV. “Now we’ve got the highest-ranked opponent and that is Derek Chisora on December 3.
“That’s where we’ll be going and that’ll be on December 3. We were just trying to find someone and it’s been very difficult. What it’s all about is that Tyson will have had one fight in a year and we always expected the fight in December would have been Usyk, but Usyk wasn’t available.
“Now, I hope, that looks like some time in February. Tyson wants to fight before then and get out, we want to get him out and that’s where we’re at. I’m not going to disregard Chisora but if he comes through that then we’ve got the big one [vs Usyk]. That’s really what it’s all been about this year.”
“Tyson would’ve had one fight in a year and we always expected that the fight in December would be Usyk but he’s not available – now I hope that will be going on sometime in February.
“Tyson wants to fight before then and we want to get him out. We got sidetracked with the situation with AJ.
“I hope that it will be competitive but I just think that Tyson is head and shoulders above all of them.
“Derek might give him more of a fight than Anthony Joshua – I just think (Joshua) is more vulnerable.”
Fury slammed Joshua for lacking the balls to push for a fight with him.
“He didn’t want the fight and didn’t push it and didn’t sign the contract,” Fury said. “In my opinion, and this is being brutally honest – lack of balls from AJ and lack of being assertive.
“If you’re a man, you be assertive with your team and make sure it’s done.”
