In a surprising shift in the IBF heavyweight rankings, Tyson Fury, known as the ‘Gypsy King,’ has been replaced by rising prospect Bakhodir Jalolov, who now sits in 13th place.
Fury’s recent loss in an undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk in May marked his first career defeat. Following the loss, Fury, who previously held the WBC crown, became a standard contender, entering the rankings of the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO.
The IBF’s decision to remove Fury from their rankings stems from Usyk vacating his IBF belt after defeating Fury. This move eliminates the necessity for the IBF to rank Fury since the title is no longer held by Usyk.
Fury is scheduled to face Usyk again on December 21 in a rematch that will not involve the IBF title. Instead, the WBA, WBC, and WBO belts will be contested. Should Fury win, he could regain his place in the IBF rankings and potentially become the IBF champion again.
This anticipated rematch sets the stage for the winner to face the victor of Daniel Dubois’ IBF title defense against Anthony Joshua on September 21. Dubois was elevated to IBF world champion status after Usyk vacated the belt, having been the ‘interim’ titleholder.
Fury’s path to redemption and reclaiming his throne is a significant narrative in the boxing world. As he begins his training for the rematch, Fury has expressed his determination to come back stronger. In a video message to Usyk, Fury declared, “On December 21st in Riyadh, the king will reclaim his throne and become undisputed. Get ready for the Gypsy King! The path to redemption is all mine.”
Meanwhile, Usyk has returned to Ukraine, focusing on charity work and spending time with his family before resuming his training for the rematch.
This development adds excitement to the heavyweight division, with other contenders like Anthony Joshua, Agit Kabayel, Jared Anderson, and Zhilei Zhang vying for their place in the world title mix.
As the boxing world eagerly awaits December 21, the rematch between Fury and Usyk promises to be a defining moment for both fighters.
