Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk set to fight in February

WBC champion Fury and Usyk, who holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, are due to meet in Riyadh on February 17.

The winner will be the division’s first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in 1999.

A Fury-Usyk fight in early 2023 was mooted by promoter Bob Arum after Fury had beaten Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last December: a fight Usyk watched at ringside.

Talks over a fight collapsed before Fury and Usyk were then seemingly lined up to fight on December 23.

However, it was delayed again following Fury’s split decision defeat of Francis Ngannou.

A press conference in London on Thursday then confirmed the date and venue with Fury taunting his rival.

He said: “You know what’s coming? You’re getting smashed to pieces, sausage.

“You’re fighting the best British heavyweight there’s ever been.

“You’ve beaten the rest of them but you haven’t beaten Tyson Fury, sausage.

“When you sleep at night ugly man, you’re going to think of me for the next eight weeks. I’m going to punch your face in. You ugly little man.”

Usyk won heavyweight gold at the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympic Games before turning professional and becoming the undisputed world cruiserweight champion.

A move up to the heavyweight division followed with Usyk beating Anthony Joshua to win his WBA, IBF and WBO titles before prevailing in a rematch.

After a year off, Usyk retained his titles with a contentious victory over Daniel Dubois, who felled him with what was deemed a low blow.

Although Fury talked up Usyk’s capabilities, he believed the Ukrainian would be in for a tough night because of his size.

“We’re both undefeated. He’s a champion, I’m a champion. It’s going to be a fight for the ages,” Fury said.

“It’s been 24 years since we’ve had an undisputed champion. The Klitschkos were champions for around 10 years, so there’s been 14 years when the other heavyweights couldn’t do it.

“We’ve both been chosen and there can only be one winner. I’m going to become the undisputed champion.

“More than that, I’m destined to cement my legacy as the number one fighter of this era.

“To do that I’ve got to beat this little man, which is easier said than done because he’s a tricky boxer, slick and all of that.

“I’ve seen many like him before and when they fight the big men, they struggle – and he will struggle on February 17. I will break him.

“He’s a middleweight, but it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog and he’s obviously got a lot of fight in him.”

Usyk, for his part, was more than happy to let Fury do all the talking.

“I will speak in the ring,” he said.

“Every time Tyson Fury speaks a lot. For me it doesn’t matter.”