British boxing superstar Tyson Fury says he will retire after his WBC heavyweight title defence against Dillian Whyte next month.
The undefeated Fury (31-0-1), who beat Deontay Wilder to become WBC champion, will face mandatory challenger Whyte after a deal to fight Ukraine's WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO champion Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title fell apart.
Fury had been expected to fight the winner of Usyk's rematch with Anthony Joshua later this year, with a chance to unify the world heavyweight belts and become the division's undisputed king.
But Fury now insists the April 24 (NZ time) bout at Wembley Stadium against Whyte will be his last, as he pledges to spend more time with his family.
"This is the final fight of my career," Fury said at a press conference to promote his fight with Wyte. "I'm retiring after this.
"$150 million in the bank, healthy, young. I'm going to buy a massive yacht abroad.
"I'm retiring, I'm out. This is my final fight, I'm done."
Still a relatively young heavyweight at just 33 years old, Fury has made similar claims in the past and turning down a potential opportunity to become the lineal champion seems unlikely.
Fury says he is "supremely confident" of defeating Whyte, when the two Britons meet at the iconic London venue.
"I am very, very confident," Fury insists. "I am not down to earth, I am on top of it.
"There's not a one percent chance that I will lose the fight. I know I cannot lose. In the latter part of my career, I have to be supremely confident in my ability, which I am.
"If I am daft enough to get hit by him then I don't deserve to be heavyweight champion."
After months of drawn-out negotiations, Fury's co-promoter Frank Warren won the purse bid in January with an offer of US$41 million (NZ$67m), beating Whyte's promoter Eddie Hearn, who was the only other bidder.
Fury is now set to receive 80 percent of the purse and Whyte the remaining 20 percent.
Whyte did not attend the press conference, opting to remain at his training camp in Portugal, with Fury and Warren saying he was unhappy about the terms of the contract.
"We ticked all the boxes and he signed the contract - at the last minute - and now he's trying to renegotiate," Warren said.
"He's getting eight times more than Tyson got when he fought (Wladimir) Klitschko. Dillian Whyte is in Portugal, it's disgraceful. He should be here - this is madness"
"I thought he would have come here to be a part of big-time boxing," Fury added. "He's never been involved in a fight of this magnitude, and likely won't be ever again.
"For him to not be here and be a part of this, it messes up his legacy."
Reuters/Newshub.
