Tyson Fury has suggested that he is expected to be sidelined until at least February through injury, effectively ending hopes of an undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
On Saturday, Fury, as expected, made light work of his trilogy fight with Dereck Chisora, frequently pummelling the veteran until the referee waved off the bout in the 10th round.
For many, the fight should have been stopped far sooner, but the WBC champion clocked up rounds ahead of what could be a big 2023 with regards to more meaningful fights.
There have been talks to stage an undisputed fight with IBF, WBA and WBO title holder Usyk, that showdown needing to take place before March 4 due to the Ukrainian's annual fasting due to being an Orthodox Christian.
However, after overcoming Chisora, Fury revealed that he required surgery on his elbow, as well as saying that he has sustained a hand injury during the clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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Speaking to ESPN, the 34-year-old said: "I've gotta do some stuff. I've got some hand problems and I've gotta maybe have some surgery on me elbow. But after that, I'm ready for anybody."
Fury expanded on the issues later in the night, acknowledging that his recovery from an elbow operation would take at least six weeks.
Speaking to reporters, as quoted by Boxing Scene, Fury added: "I sort of like f***ed me hands up tonight on Dereck's big head. It's solid as a brick, and I've got like some elbow problems.
"I've gotta maybe have surgery on me right elbow. Just on the right [elbow]. I had the left done back in October [2021], after the [third Deontay Wilder] fight. So, I've gotta have it done. It'll take about six to eight weeks to heal."
Fury's injury, in theory, now ends all hopes of an undisputed showdown with all four belts on the line with Usyk intent to fight early next year.
The IBF have called for the 35-year-old to defend his title against mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic, and the expectation is that a date and venue will be agreed in due course.
Should Usyk make the decision to wait for Fury, the IBF belt would likely be vacated, although that appears unlikely given the respective timelines regarding the fighters involved.
Darren Plant
