"You had the Thrilla in Manila" – Frank Warren justifies taking Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk outside of England

Frank Warren doesn't believe Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk needs to take place in the U.K.

The two heavyweight champions are currently in talks about facing off this spring in a historic clash. The winner of a bout involving 'The Gypsy King' and 'The Cat' will be crowned the first Undisputed Champion of the heavyweights since Lennox Lewis in 2002.

With that in mind, there's a lot of fanfare surrounding the contest. British fans are likely hoping for the matchup to take place in their home country. Fury has, after all, had his last few title defenses in the U.K.

However, the leading candidate to host the historic heavyweight title fight is Saudi Arabia. While Qatar also reportedly has an interest in the bout, it seems that the fight is destined to land in the Middle East.

Most fans aren't pleased with these rumors but Tyson Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, believes that's okay. In a recent interview with TalkSport, the head of Queensberry Promotions stated:

“I know a lot of people complain about it and I agree it should be at Wembley, I’d love to see it there. But Muhammad Ali and George Foreman went and fought in Zaire, then you had the the Thrilla in Manila, you had the big fights in Jamaica. They went where the money was and these guys will do the same thing.”

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Frank Warren gives an update on Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk

Frank Warren has revealed that the date for Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk should be finalized soon.

'The Gypsy King' and 'The Cat' were previously in discussions to fight last December. However, an injury to Usyk sustained in his August rematch with Anthony Joshua halted fight talks.

While plans for December were scrapped, the two sides remained in contact. Following Tyson Fury's knockout win over Derek Chisora last month, Usyk's manager revealed the two were close to making the fight official.

Since then, Bob Arum has stated that the two sides have agreed to fight next, with the date and venue being the lone obstacle. In the interview with TalkSport, Frank Warren gave an update on the situation:

“Listen, it’s gotta be sorted out very, very quickly now because the time is against us... I want to get the fight on in March, and so will Tyson [Fury]. We just want to get it on in March, and that’ll set them up for another big fight in the autumn.”