Arbitrator rules Fury must fight Wilder by Sept. 15

An arbitrator has ruled that reigning WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury must fight former champion Deontay Wilder next instead of Anthony Joshua, Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports reports.

The ruling by retired judge Daniel Weinstein comes one day after Fury announced he'll fight Joshua - the IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight titleholder - in a blockbuster unification bout Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia.

Weinstein found that Fury is obliged to fight Wilder for a third time based on a rematch clause in their original contract. The bout must be no later than Sept. 15.

While it's not an official court order, the ruling can be enforced by the courts, according to Iole. As a result, Fury can either fight Wilder again or attempt to negotiate a deal for Wilder to step aside with the agreement he'd face the winner of a Fury-Joshua bout.

Bob Arum, Fury's promoter, called the ruling "preposterous" and said he's "terribly disappointed" by the decision, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Arum added that his camp will try to convince Wilder to step aside and fight the winner of Fury-Joshua in November or December.

Fury-Wilder has become one of boxing's most high-profile rivalries over the past few years. The fighters' first meeting in 2018 ended in a controversial split-decision draw. Fury won the rematch, and the WBC belt, in February 2020 via seventh-round knockout. Neither fighter has stepped into the ring since.

An agreement on a trilogy fight for last July was scuttled after Wilder needed surgery, according to Iole. Fury turned his attention to Joshua after he and Wilder couldn't secure a new date.

Wilder has been vocal about his desire to meet Fury for the third time. In November, he went after Fury on Twitter, telling the "Gypsy King" to "be a man" and fight him.