The undercard for Tyson Fury’s rematch against Oleksandr Usyk has been hit by a drugs saga just days before the much-hyped fight night in Riyadh.
Usyk beat the Gypsy King on points in May to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion, coming back from a rocky few rounds in the middle of the bout to finish strongly.
Indeed, the Ukrainian almost put Fury away in the ninth round of an absorbing fight, rocking the Brit with a flurry of 14 unanswered punches which left his opponent leaning on the ropes for support.
The 36-year-old somehow survived the onslaught and made it to the end of the contest but Usyk has recently claimed he can learn from the first bout and perform even better in the rematch.
The rematch is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia next Saturday, with the Gypsy King seeking revenge following his only career loss to date.
But the event has been thrown into chaos after British super-bantamweight champion Dennis McCann failed an anti-doping test ahead of his exciting clash with compatriot Peter McGrail.
Tyson Fury takes on Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch next week but the undercard is in chaos
British super-bantamweight fighter Dennis McCann failed an anti-doping test this week
The 23-year-old was due to fight Peter McGrail as one of five undercard bouts in Riyadh
Officials reported an ‘adverse finding’ in the 23-year-old’s sample meaning the undercard bout, one of five on the Fury-Usyk schedule, is off.
Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority Turki Alalshikh, who has been behind Saudi’s hosting of some huge fights recently, said: ‘The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) has today informed all relevant parties that Dennis McCann has returned an adverse finding following an anti-doping test conducted in advance of his upcoming bout.
‘Mr. McCann’s scheduled fight next Saturday will no longer take place, as the relevant parties investigate the matter further.
‘No further comment on this will be made at this time.’
The Brit’s promoter Queensberry, which is owned by Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, also confirmed the decision.
McCann has become a big draw in his own right after cruising to victory against Ionut Baluta to claim the vacant European title, but will now not feature on the Saudi card.
Both Usyk and Fury have been previewing the big fight in recent weeks with the Gypsy King recently engaging in his own round of fighting talk, claiming he did ‘more clowning than anybody in any high-level fight’ during his defeat in May.
He said: ‘I’ll just throw more this time. Keep hitting him in the face more often than I did last time.
Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority Turki Alalshikh confirmed the failed test
Usyk beat Fury on points in May to become undisputed world heavyweight champion
The Ukrainian had him troubled in the ninth round and nearly knocked out the Gypsy King
‘I’m just going to box smart, box clever and if I catch him, get him out of there. ‘retty similar to what I did last time. A little bit less clowning around and a bit more focus and that’s it, really.
‘I did more clowning than anybody in any high-level fight’s ever done.
‘It’s taken my focus away as well, so maybe a little less clowning and more focus on the actual victory. I was messing around too much in there.’
Fury often dropped his hands, stretched his arms out and made comical faces, inviting pressure from Usyk particularly in the early exchanges.
The Gypsy King also accepted he is no longer the same fighter he once was, after a long career encompassing 36 fights, with the 36-year-old winning 34 and drawing one against Deontay Wilder in 2018, as well as his Usyk loss.
‘I’m not the same guy I was at 21 or 22, but who is at that age?’ Fury said. ‘No one is, I suppose. Muhammad Ali wasn’t. Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson definitely wasn’t. Nobody is.
‘Who is the same man they are at 36 as they was at 26? Nobody really. So yeah, all of those fights have a big effect on human beings.’
Fury’s remarks come after he confirmed plans last week for a third bout against his currently unbeaten opponent before accepting that he would need to win the rematch first.
The Gypsy King claimed he did a bit too much ‘clowining’ in his defeat to the Ukrainian in May
Usyk has also vowed to learn from the performance, suggesting he could knock Fury out
Usyk and his team were emotional after the May fight and posed with a Ukrainian flag
In a recent interview on DAZN along with Usyk and his promoter, as well as the Mancunian’s own promoter Frank Warren, Fury said: ‘There will be a rematch. A trilogy. There’s got to be.
‘If he wins one and I win one, I can’t say I’m better and he can’t say he’s better. There has to be a third one.’
His previous defeat saw him outclassed in the ring by Usyk who again delivered on his underdog status and displayed incredible athleticism to negate the difference in height and reach.
But, Fury seems to be aiming to make the most of his size advantage against Usyk this time around with the 36-year-old looking to have packed on serious muscle mass ahead of the mouthwatering contest.
The Wythenshawe-born boxer has been recruiting a vast array of sparring partners in preparation to take on the Ukrainian, with Kevin Lerena among those hired by Fury’s training team.
The duo went toe-to-toe in a series of intense sparring sessions and the South African shared an image of the pair standing side-by-side afterwards, with the Gypsy King’s giant figure taking fans by surprise.
HOW TO WATCH: Click to register and watch Usyk vs. Fury 2 on DAZN here
