Tyson Fury Discusses an Oleksandr Usyk Trilogy — But Anthony Joshua Comes First

Tyson Fury is already discussing the possibility of fighting Oleksandr Usyk for a third time, but one major obstacle stands between that idea and reality: Anthony Joshua.

Fury is scheduled to face Joshua on December 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, according to Netflix. That long-awaited heavyweight fight could determine whether Fury enters 2027 with the momentum and credibility needed to sell another meeting with Usyk—or whether the division moves in a different direction.

The trilogy conversation began after Fury told FightHype that he contacted Usyk while the Joshua fight was uncertain. According to Fury, Usyk said he was occupied with a family holiday but “could do a fight in March.” BoxingNews24 reported the exchange as a possible opening for Fury-Usyk III, although Fury stopped well short of presenting it as an agreement.

“Maybe we do that in March. I don’t know yet. One fight at a time,” Fury said, according to BoxingNews24.

That qualification matters. There is no reported contract, confirmed venue, promoter announcement or finalized March date for a third fight. Fury’s account also does not establish whether Usyk was offering to fight him specifically or merely discussing his general availability.

Meanwhile, Usyk and his team have publicly identified another direction. They say the former undisputed cruiserweight champion wants to return to that division and pursue a fight with David Benavidez.

Fury may be talking about redemption. Usyk’s camp may be talking about cruiserweight. Neither proposed matchup is official, and Joshua has the opportunity to disrupt the entire conversation before either plan advances.

Fury’s March Conversation Opens a Door, but It Confirms Nothing

The most meaningful part of Fury’s account is that communication between him and Usyk apparently remains open.

Fury contacted his former opponent while there was uncertainty surrounding the Joshua fight, according to his FightHype interview as reported by BoxingNews24 and Boxing 247. Usyk’s reported response suggested that March could be available, giving Fury enough reason to mention a possible trilogy publicly.

That is notable after two fights between them. A third meeting would give Fury another opportunity to revisit the defining rivalry of his recent career, while the history between the heavyweights would make the matchup commercially significant without requiring an elaborate introduction.

But availability is not an agreement.

Fury’s own language makes that clear. “Maybe” and “I don’t know yet” are not the words of a fighter announcing a finalized deal. His closing reminder—“One fight at a time”—is the most important part of the statement because Fury already has a scheduled opponent.

There are also unanswered questions surrounding the conversation itself. Fury has not established that formal trilogy negotiations have taken place between the fighters’ representatives. The reports do not identify a promoter agreement, a venue or the contractual terms required to stage the fight. Most importantly, Usyk has not publicly confirmed through the supplied reports that his reference to March was a commitment to face Fury.

The conversation keeps the trilogy alive as a possibility. It does not move the fight beyond that stage.

Boxing regularly transforms informal discussions into premature headlines. A fighter expresses interest, a month is mentioned and suddenly an event begins to look inevitable. In reality, the distance between a conversation and a signed fight can be enormous.

Fury-Usyk III may eventually become real. For now, Fury has only described an exchange that suggests Usyk could be available.

Usyk’s Camp Is Publicly Pointing Toward David Benavidez

Fury has also challenged the competing story surrounding Usyk’s future.

According to Boxing 247, Fury told FightHype that he does not believe Usyk will return to cruiserweight to face Benavidez. Fury claimed Usyk is looking for a major payday and questioned whether the proposed cruiserweight matchup will happen.

That is Fury’s opinion. It is not a confirmed account of Usyk’s intentions.

Usyk and his adviser, Serhii Lapin, have publicly presented a different plan. During The Ring’s October 31 broadcast, Usyk said he had “clean[ed] up” the heavyweight division and wanted to return to his former weight class. The Ring later reported that Lapin said Usyk planned to return to cruiserweight and pursue Benavidez.

BoxingScene had also reported Usyk’s interest in returning to cruiserweight in early 2027 before potentially facing Benavidez.

Those statements do not make Usyk-Benavidez official. No finalized fight announcement is identified in the supplied reports, and several practical questions remain unresolved. It is unclear whether Usyk would first take another cruiserweight bout, when Benavidez would enter the plan or whether the necessary promotional and contractual arrangements can be completed.

Still, Usyk’s stated direction cannot be dismissed simply because Fury predicts something else.

There are now two public possibilities surrounding Usyk. Fury says a March trilogy might be available. Usyk and Lapin say a cruiserweight return and a Benavidez fight are being pursued. Both ideas may be under consideration, but neither has advanced far enough to be treated as Usyk’s confirmed next assignment.

That distinction is essential because Fury’s interpretation serves his own interests. Presenting Usyk as motivated primarily by a large payday strengthens the argument for a third heavyweight fight. Presenting Usyk as genuinely interested in returning to cruiserweight strengthens the case that he may be ready to leave the Fury rivalry behind.

The next meaningful development will come from negotiations and signed agreements, not competing predictions.

Joshua Can Change Fury’s Leverage in One Night

The trilogy discussion depends first on Fury completing the Joshua fight.

Netflix lists Fury-Joshua for December 11 in Cardiff. Until that event takes place, any attempt to position Usyk as Fury’s next opponent risks treating Joshua as a transitional obligation rather than a threat capable of changing the heavyweight picture.

A convincing Fury victory would strengthen the case for Usyk III. It would give Fury momentum, reinforce his status as a central figure in the division and provide promoters with a clean redemption storyline. Fury could argue that he had handled another major heavyweight assignment and remained the most commercially compelling opponent available to Usyk.

Even then, a trilogy would not be guaranteed. Usyk could prioritize his proposed cruiserweight return, pursue Benavidez or choose another opportunity. A Fury victory would improve his position without giving him control over Usyk’s plans.

A poor performance would create a different problem. Even if Fury defeated Joshua, an unconvincing showing could reduce enthusiasm for immediately revisiting the Usyk matchup. The trilogy would still carry name value, but Fury’s claim to another opportunity would depend on more than his ability to promote it.

A loss would make the sporting argument considerably harder.

Fury could remain a commercially attractive opponent after a defeat, especially because of his history with Usyk. But marketability and merit are not always the same thing. If Joshua defeats Fury, the heavyweight conversation would have to account for Joshua’s rise rather than automatically reserving the next major opportunity for the losing fighter.

Joshua would no longer be a supporting character in Fury’s redemption story. He would become the man who interrupted it.

That result could redirect attention toward Joshua’s future, weaken Fury’s negotiating position and make an immediate Usyk trilogy look more like a commercially convenient sequel than the division’s most justified matchup.

The Trilogy Must Be Earned in Cardiff

Fury has every reason to want another chance against Usyk.

They have already shared the ring twice, and a third fight would allow Fury to pursue the kind of redemption that boxing sells exceptionally well. Familiar rivals, unresolved pride and the possibility of a different ending can keep a matchup relevant even when one fighter has already had multiple opportunities.

But a rivalry cannot be considered separately from what happens next.

Fury is not entering a waiting period before Usyk becomes available. He is scheduled to face Joshua in one of the most consequential fights available to either man. That result will provide current evidence about Fury’s form, judgment and ability to remain at the center of the heavyweight division.

If Fury wins decisively, the trilogy becomes easier to defend on sporting grounds. The argument would be straightforward: Fury completed his immediate business, restored momentum and remained a credible opponent for Usyk.

If Fury loses, the conversation changes. A third Usyk fight might still attract attention, but Fury would be pursuing redemption against one rival immediately after being beaten by another. That sequence would raise an obvious question about why he should move directly into another major opportunity instead of rebuilding his position.

The answer cannot simply be that Fury-Usyk III would sell.

Boxing has often allowed commercial demand to outrun competitive logic, but the December fight gives the sport a rare opportunity to let the ring settle the argument. Fury does not need to persuade the public that he belongs in another Usyk fight before facing Joshua. He needs to perform in Cardiff and allow the result to establish his case.

Usyk’s plans will matter afterward. Benavidez’s availability will matter. The promoters, contracts and chosen weight class will matter.

First, Fury has to deal with the opponent already in front of him.