Oleksandr Usyk expecting February date to face Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia

Oleksandr Usyk is hoping his undisputed heavyweight world title fight with Tyson Fury can take place in Saudi Arabia in February once the Briton has recovered from a bruising 10 rounds with boxing novice Francis Ngannou.

Contracts were signed in September but a proposed December 23 date in Riyadh looks sure to slide since WBC champion Fury's near-defeat to former UFC champion Ngannou in a non-title bout on October 28.

Ukrainian Usyk holds the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts and both he and Fury are unbeaten. Speaking to Reuters from his training camp in Valencia, Spain, Usyk said the date should be decided next week.

"It could be February and I would very much like it to be February," he said, through an interpreter. "I was ready to fight on the 23rd [December] but since Fury got some injuries in the last fight, a knockdown, then probably it will be postponed to next year."

The long-awaited on-off fight would crown the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999 and the first of the four-belt era, and Usyk made clear he would take the delay in his stride.

"I'll just do more technical work. Technically, nothing changes. I just have a little more time for some additional tasks, and that's it," he said.

"I don't think about Tyson Fury at all... I think about myself, about my team, about my family. I don't need to think about my opponent. I just need to be with him, fight and that's it."

Usyk spoke of friends fighting on the front line in the war with Russia, faith and the inspiration of his late father, and warned Fury he would be taking all of that into the ring with him.

"Everything I do today – my achievements, my victories, my efforts – are focused to honour my country and my family," he said.

Usyk fought Anthony