Highlights

• Tyson Fury fights Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday but fans still clamor for an all-British showdown against Anthony Joshua.
• Fight promoter Frank Warren said Wednesday how a Joshua vs Fury mega event can come to be.
• It could even take place "early next year," Warren told The MMA Hour.

There's a possible pathway for an Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury mega fight to materialize in the next nine months, and it's one that boxing promoter Frank Warren alluded to during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour. Some key things need to happen for Joshua vs Fury to take place — and principal among them is for each fighter to keep on winning, fulfill their contractual obligations, and, potentially, compete against one another "early next year."

Joshua vs Fury is The Boxing Event we All Deserve

Promoter Warren detailed the path toward the super fight when speaking to Ariel Helwani

Warren is currently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the huge undisputed world heavyweight title match between champions Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Whoever loses has the option to invoke a rematch per a clause in their respective contracts.

"The loser of the fight, which I'm hoping will be Usyk, has the option to call for a rematch," explained Warren. "That rematch he will get extremely well paid for. Huge money … He's down to fight the rematch if it happens in October."

Meanwhile, Joshua has a big fight of his own, likely against the winner of a June 1 bout between Filip Hrgovic or Daniel Dubois, tentatively scheduled for mid-September in the UK.

Though Fury and Usyk fight for the first time Saturday, May 18, they will compete in a rematch in October, should the loser of the first fight push for the do-over. Once the two-fight rivalry is complete, and pending Joshua's result with the Hrgovic vs Dubois winner, only then can we move on to the Joshua vs Fury mega event.

Said Warren:

"Whoever comes through these two fights [Fury vs Usyk], and providing AJ keeps winning, that fight will happen early next year. There's been discussions … nothing's been guaranteed, Tyson hasn't not agreed to it, but the discussions have been among the powers-that-be. If anything else was to happen, that depends entirely on the loser of the fight."

First Things First: Fury vs Usyk

It's a fight week that has not been short of drama and intrigue

Fury and Usyk arrived in Saudi Arabia earlier this week ahead of their Saturday showdown. And even before they made their 'Grand Arrivals' for fans and media on the Tuesday, there had already been a melee involving Tyson Fury's dad John, and a member of Usyk's team. John Fury was seen on video shouting, getting increasingly irate, before headbutting a smaller man, seemingly at random. Though he was the apparent aggressor, John Fury came off worse as he cut his head. He has since issued an apology.

Though things have calmed since then, there have still been intriguing elements to the fight week — particularly the way in which Usyk has been focused on Fury either by assessing his opponent's shredded physique, or looking focused with a cold stare during the media workouts Wednesday.

A final press conference is scheduled Thursday, before Friday's weigh-in, and, ultimately, fight night Saturday.