Tommy Fury’s fight with YouTuber Jake Paul has been called off, with the Briton struggling to be fit.
After a long-running online feud the pair were due to fight in Tampa, Florida on 18 December.
Fury said he had a bacterial chest infection and broken rib and was “heartbroken” the bout was off, saying he hoped it could be rearranged.
Paul added: “It’s official. He’s pulled out of the fight due to a medical condition – who knows what’s going on?
“I’ve fought with a broken nose, I’ve fought sick. He was scared.”
Paul said that he would instead face Tyron Woodley in a rematch – their cruiserweight fight in August ended in a split-decision victory for Paul.
Professional boxer Fury and American Paul both have novice records, leading to the lucrative bout being widely criticised.
Fury has said he only took the fight to make money and that a victory would have given him “no credit in the boxing world”.
Paul has a record of four wins as a professional, against fellow social media star AnEsonGib, ex-NBA basketballer Nate Robinson and mixed martial arts fighters Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley.
Meanwhile, Fury, the half-brother of WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson, has just seven professional victories in his career.
Fury had 12 amateur contests before finding fame on the reality TV series Love Island. He was training with Tyson and his trainer SugarHill Steward for the Paul fight.
