The undercard of Tyson Fury’s rematch against Oleksandr Usyk has been hit by a drug saga just days before the much-hyped fight night in Riyadh.
Usyk defeated the Gypsy King on points in May to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion, coming back from a tough few rounds mid-fight to finish strong.
In fact, the Ukrainian nearly floored Fury in the ninth round of an absorbing fight, rocking the Brit with a flurry of 14 unanswered punches that left his opponent leaning on the ropes for support.
The 36-year-old somehow survived the attack and made it to the end of the fight, but Usyk recently claimed that he can learn from the first bout and perform even better in the rematch.
The rematch is scheduled for next Saturday in Saudi Arabia, and the Gypsy King will be looking for revenge after the only loss of his career to date.
But the event has been thrown into chaos after British super bantamweight champion Dennis McCann failed a drugs test ahead of his thrilling clash with compatriot Peter McGrail.
Tyson Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch next week, but the card is a mess
British super bantamweight fighter Dennis McCann failed a drug test this week
The 23-year-old was due to fight Peter McGrail as one of five preliminary fights in Riyadh.
Officials reported an “adverse finding” on the 23-year-old’s sample, meaning the preliminary fight, one of five on the Fury-Usyk schedule, is off.
General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh, who has been behind the staging of some major fights in Saudi Arabia recently, said: “The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) has today informed all relevant parties that Dennis McCann has issued an adverse finding after a drug-test conducted before his next fight.
‘Mister. McCann’s scheduled fight next Saturday will no longer take place as the relevant parties investigate the matter further.
“No further comment will be made on this at this time.”
British promoter Queensberry, owned by Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, also confirmed the decision.
McCann has become a major attraction in his own right after claiming victory against Ionut Baluta to claim the vacant European title, but will now not appear on the Saudi card.
Both Usyk and Fury have been anticipating the big fight in recent weeks and the Gypsy King recently engaged in his own round of fight talk, claiming he clowned “more than anyone in any high-level fight” during his loss in May.
He said, “This time I will throw more.” Keep hitting him in the face more often than last time.
General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Alalshikh confirmed the failed test
Usyk beat Fury on points in May to become undisputed world heavyweight champion
The Ukrainian had problems in the ninth round and almost knocked out the Gypsy King
‘I’m just going to box smart, box smart and if I catch him, I’ll get him out of there. It’s pretty similar to what I did last time. A little less clowning and a little more focus and that’s it, really.
“I did more antics than anyone in any high-level fight ever done.
“It’s also taken away my concentration, so maybe a little less clowning and more concentration on the actual victory.” I was playing too much in there.
Fury often dropped his hands, stretched his arms and made comical faces, which led to pressure from Usyk, especially in the early exchanges.
The Gypsy King also accepted that he is no longer the same fighter he once was, after a long career that spanned 36 fights, with the 36-year-old winning 34 and drawing one against Deontay Wilder in 2018, as well as his loss against Usyk .
‘I’m not the same guy I was when I was 21 or 22, but who is at that age?’ Fury said. I guess no one is. Muhammad Ali was not. Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson definitely wasn’t. Nobody is.
‘Who is the same man you had at 36 as at 26? Nobody really. So yes, all those fights have a great effect on human beings.
Fury’s comments come after he last week confirmed plans for a third fight against his currently undefeated opponent before accepting that he would need to win the rematch first.
The Gypsy King claimed that he did too many “antics” in his defeat against the Ukrainian in May
Usyk also promised to learn from the performance, suggesting he could knock out Fury.
Usyk and his team were emotional after the fight in May and posed with a Ukrainian flag
In a recent interview about DAZN Along with Usyk and his promoter, as well as Manchester’s own promoter Frank Warren, Fury said: “There will be a rematch.” A trilogy. There has to be.
“If he wins one and I win another, I can’t say I’m better and he can’t say he’s better.” There has to be a third.’
His previous loss saw him outclassed in the ring by Usyk, who again lived up to his underdog status and showed incredible athleticism to negate the difference in height and reach.
But Fury appears to want to make the most of his size advantage against Usyk this time around, as the 36-year-old appears to have packed on some serious muscle mass ahead of the mouth-watering contest.
The Wythenshawe-born boxer has been recruiting a wide range of training partners in preparation to face the Ukrainian, with Kevin Lerena among those recruited by Fury’s training team.
The duo went head to head in a series of intense sparring sessions and the South African shared an image of the pair side by side afterwards, with the giant figure of the Gypsy King taking fans by surprise.
HOW TO WATCH: Click to register and watch Usyk vs. Fury 2 on DAZN here