Conor McGregor has heaped praise on both competitors in last night’s undisputed world heavyweight boxing title fight.
Oleksandr Usyk handed Tyson Fury his first defeat as a professional in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in order to become the first undisputed champion of the sport’s four-belt era. McGregor has been watching the heavyweight division closely, and has made regular appearances in the Kingdom to catch big fights.
But with his training camp for UFC 303 now deeply underway, the Irishman was unable to make it out to The Kingdom for this historic night. Instead, he watched from home and supported from afar as Oleksandr Usyk made history.
Conor McGregor demands Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua after Oleksandr Usyk fight
Since last summer, McGregor has been actively taking part in the heavyweight scene as a sponsor and a key figure at events such as Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou’s major shows. He has been spotted ringside and even stepped between the ropes at certain events featuring the heavy hitters.
And taking to Instagram yesterday, he shared his thoughts on the state of the division, telling his 44million+ fans that Oleksandr Usyk’s performance was “A mad hiding!”
“What next?” He asked. “Incredible. He has beat both soundly. Whatever moves towards Tyson-AJ I am for. If Fury wishes to go for a second try at the wheel, AJ had two attempts so why not. Tall ask. Not impossible also.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk set for rematch after historic heavyweight title fight
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk had agreed before the fight to a rematch clause, and it appears that the Brit is exercising that right. In the ring immediately after the decision was read, the former champion noted that he had such a deal, and appeared keen to exercise it.
However, at the post-fight press conference he refused to commit to anything. He is expecting to face Usyk again in October, but told reporters that he had no plans to even think about a boxing match after three back-to-back-to-back camps.
The Manchester native faced Ngannou in October as part of the debut of Riyadh Season, and was due to take on Usyk December 23. However, that plan fell through after he was given a fright by the UFC heavyweight champion, and the bout was rescheduled for February.
Unfortunately, Fury had to wait even longer as he suffered a gruesome cut in training and was forced to postpone the bout further. Eventually, the May 18 date was agreed and the pair met last night in front of a capacity crowd.