Tyson Fury (R) throws a punch at Oleksandr Usyk during the heavyweight unification match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 18, 2024. Photo by AP |
As part of the fight purse split, Usyk, the reigning WBA, WBC and WBO champion, will take home 60% of the $190 million prize pot, while Fury will receive the remaining 40%. However, Fury’s earnings will be further reduced by U.K. tax obligations.
According to projections by bookie site Jeff Bet, Fury is expected to pay £28.19 million ($35.7 million) in taxes, leaving him with approximately £31.81 million ($40.3 million). This includes £26.99 million in income tax and £1.2 million in National Insurance contributions.
“If you are a resident in the U.K. you have to pay tax on overseas earnings in the same way, and that remains the same no matter how much someone might earn,” Jeff Bet told Daily Mail. “Good tax advice is always important and in this case you can be sure the Fury camp will have looked at an agreement that would be the most beneficial.”
Despite the hefty tax burden, Fury is set for a lucrative payday in his quest to unify the heavyweight division’s four major belts. For their first fight in May 2024, Fury took a 70% share of the $147 million purse, earning $103 million before taxes, while Usyk claimed $44.4 million from his 30% share. Fury, who holds the WBC belt, is seen as the bigger name due to his brand recognition and marketability.
Usyk won the May bout via a split decision, making history as the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era, which includes the WBA, IBF, WBC, and WBO titles. Lennox Lewis was the last to achieve similar dominance when he unified the three major belts in 1999 by defeating Evander Holyfield.
Usyk has also achieved undisputed status in the cruiserweight division, holding all four major belts before moving up to heavyweight in 2019. He made an immediate impact, defeating Chazz Witherspoon by a seventh-round stoppage in his debut in the division.
However, the Ukrainian lost his IBF belt, now held by Daniel Dubois and will defend his remaining WBA, WBC and WBO titles against Fury in their rematch on Dec. 21. The bout will make history as the first boxing match to incorporate AI judges, a groundbreaking development in the sport.
Fury, determined to reclaim the titles, has taken extreme measures in preparation, including cutting off contact with his wife, Paris, for three months and adopting a rugged new look with a goatee and ditching his grooming habits.
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