Just over ten days have passed since Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury faced each other once again in the ring.

With Usyk emerging victorious, discussions have naturally shifted toward future matchups. For the Ukrainian champion, there has been clamor for a rematch with Daniel Dubois. For Fury, it is back to the much sought-after clash against fellow Briton Anthony Joshua.

However, amidst the discussions, fresh insights on the Usyk-Fury rematch have appeared. A recent take from an insider digresses on the money part of the showdown. To some, the revelation might be startling. Seven months after their first encounter at the Kingdom Arena, Usyk and Fury met again on December 21 to settle their rivalry. Unlike their initial clash, Usyk secured a decisive win, retaining his unified titles. Alongside his belts, the Olympic gold medalist reportedly earned an unprecedented payout as well. However, Chael Sonnen has cast doubt on the rumored figures surrounding the fight.

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“Usyk was rumored to have gotten 60 million to fight Tyson Fury. 3 weeks ago Usyk did not get 60 million,” said Sonnen. According to him, these numbers are exaggerated. The claim is fabricated for publicity.

Though far from the inflated figures, Tyson Fury’s actual earnings were slightly higher than the $40 million he acknowledged nevertheless. With a realistic ceiling of $100 million for the rematch, he seemed to suggest that even the biggest boxing matches, including those featuring the sport’s top heavyweights, failed to generate anywhere near the rumored sums.

Actually, Chael Sonnen’s discourse was more about the rumored boxing match between Conor McGregor and Logan Paul. Revealing a potential matchup against Jake Paul‘s elder brother, ‘The Notorious’ shocked everyone last month. Reportedly, both McGregor and Paul could take home an astronomical amount of $250 million each from the exhibition fight in India.

Expressing his doubts, Sonnen, however, suggested that under no circumstances would anyone splurge such an astronomical amount. “There’s not a single piece of that that’s true,” he said, adding, “To hand to a guy that’s 0 and 1 in boxing against the current WWE star, there is no part of that story that’s true.”

Sonnen also drew comparisons to other high-profile bouts, including the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight. While Tyson’s rumored earnings of $20 million might hold some truth, Sonnen dismissed claims of an equally substantial payout for Jake Paul. He further noted that even hypothetical superfights, like Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, would likely struggle to reach the suggested extravagant sums.

Reportedly, the December 21 rematch saw a total payout of $190 million, split 55-45 in favor of Usyk. This marked a shift from their first encounter, where Fury claimed 70% of the $150 million purse. While the exact amount Usyk received remains unclear, it seems that both fighters walked away with substantial earnings.

Chael Sonnen’s perspective offers valuable insight into the economics of combat sports. Fans may continue to debate the feasibility of rumored matchups like McGregor vs. Logan Paul. However, his arguments serve as a reminder to approach such claims with skepticism.

Former world heavyweight champ Tyson Fury has made his stance on retirement crystal clear despite back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk.

The Mancunian lost his pristine record to Usyk in May 2024 after a split-decision defeat. The 36-year-old boxing phenomenon then failed to get redemption in their rematch last month, with the result even more in Usyk’s favour this time.

Retirement rumours have naturally begun swirling, considering Fury’s age and dashed ambitions for undisputed glory. Still, he’s strongly hinted he’s not quite ready to hang up his gloves.

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Shortly after his latest defeat in Saudi Arabia, Fury signalled his intent to reporters as he said: “What’s next for me? I’m going home and having some time off.” When quizzed about whether fans would see him in the ring again, he responded: “You might do, you might not. Who knows? We’ll talk about that next year.”

These comments left fans guessing at what the Wythenshawe native’s next move could be after a challenging year. But recent reports from The Sun (via The Mirror US) revealed he’s confided in friends, saying: “It’s not over.”

Fury is no stranger to stepping away from boxing; it has been over a decade since his initial retirement announcement in November 2013. ‘The Gypsy King’ cut a frustrated figure after his fight with David Haye fell through for a second time.

“Hi everyone, I have officially retired from boxing,” he posted on X (then Twitter). “There’s too many bent [crooked] people in the sport. They will have to f— someone else. Goodbye boxing.”

This declaration turned out to be fleeting as he faced Joey Abell in the ring just three months later. He maintained a steady career trajectory for some years after that, albeit with a three-year break from boxing between 2015 and 2018 amid his mental health battle.

After defeating Dillian Whyte at Wembley with a sixth-round finish in 2022, he announced his retirement again. He mentioned that he had made a promise to his wife Paris to retire after besting Whyte, stating: “I’m a two-time undisputed world champion. [I have] £150m in the bank and nothing to prove to anybody.”