Ouch. Deontay Wilder has confirmed that he’s “definitely” interested in a third rematch with Tyson Fury after his especially humiliating loss during their fight at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
For those of you not following, the epic Heavyweight saga that saw Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury going head-to-head in a blistering rematch has another installment. After Wilder lost to Fury in seventh round of their rematch, he expressed an immediate interest in getting back in the ring for redemption.
“We’re definitely going to exercise it [our right to a third fight,]” says Wilder, according to ESPN. “We’re looking forward to it. I’m a warrior and a true champion and I fight like that every bit of the way. We’re definitely going on with it. That’s for sure. By the summertime.”
Wilder is referring to the fact that the terms of their UFC fight deal include a provision that either fighter may request an immediate third fight regardless of the outcome. The update may delight fans who felt that Wilder’s performance in the ring last month was, well, far from his best. The two fought to a hotly disputed draw just over a year ago and fans were eagerly awaited the much-touted rematch. However, a number of other factors led to the match to be labelled disappointing by some. Fury dispatched Wilder in almost comical fashion in the seventh round; Wilder’s talents were really not on display as Fury’s offensive absolutely pummeled him. Promoters were very excited leading up to the fight since it seemed like the two were a pretty fair match as fighters, but this is the UFC — a fight can play out any number of ways at any time and predictions can only be so accurate.
Wilder blames his poor performance on an elaborate metal costume he wore while entering the ring, which he estimated weighed about 40 pounds, including batteries.
“He didn’t hurt me at all, but the simple fact is my uniform was way too heavy for me. I didn’t have no legs from the beginning of the fight. In the third round, my legs were just shot all the way through,” Wilder explained.
It’s an interesting defense for a poor show in a fight, and Wilder certainly gets points for being creative with it. The fact remains that fans are hungry for more after a fight that failed to live up to expectations and it’s possible that Wilder could still put on a show if given the opportunity. Only time will tell if he can bulk up and get his act together in time to really match up with Tyson, who proved he has laser focus on his goals. Now that he’s learned his lesson, Wilder is a lot less likely to wear chain mail and a massive light-up knight’s helmet into the octagon. You win some, you lose some.
*All images and media courtesy of Instagram.
