British boxer Tyson Fury hinted at the possibility of hanging up his gloves after losing to Oleksandr Usyk in a four-title heavyweight unification bout on May 18.

Not only did Fury’s dream of unifying the four most prestigious heavyweight boxing belts fall apart, he also suffered his first defeat in his professional career. Before losing to Usyk, the British boxer had drawn one and won 34, including 24 knockouts in 35 matches.

Johnny Nelson, who held the WBO cruiserweight title from 1999 to 2006, said Fury was so disappointed with the first defeat of his career that he could hang up his gloves. “Fury’s team have had serious conversations about motivating him and getting him back on his feet,” Nelson told Sky Sports . “Don’t be surprised if Fury retires. What more can he do? This defeat will affect Fury’s mentality and his heart.”

“I don’t do it for the money, I do it for the love of the sport,” Fury told Sky Sports . “I’ve been boxing since I was a kid and I’m going to be 36 in a few months. Where does it end? Do I have a hundred fights and then fall and end up in a wheelchair? If I still love it and enjoy it, I’ll keep doing it. When I can’t do it anymore, I’ll stop.”

Fury has always been vocal about mental health issues and has insisted that the most important prize for boxers is returning home safely to their families. Despite the war of words and controversies in his career , these are views that have been well received and supported by Fury’s fans.

In the four-title heavyweight boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 18, Fury – despite having the advantage in size, being nearly 20kg heavier and 15cm taller – had difficulty and struggled to defend against Usyk. After 12 rounds without a knockout, Usyk won the biggest boxing match of the 21st century by judges’ scores of 115-112, 113-114, 114-113 and became the first absolute heavyweight champion in the four-title era – WBA, IBF, WBC and WBO.

I’m happy with the performance,” Fury said. “Both guys got big money and are going home to lovely wives and kids. That’s the most important thing. I’m almost 36 and we’re not kids anymore. We’re at the end of our careers and we put on a great fight. I’m proud of that.”

Fury was lucky to escape a knockout in the ninth round, when Usyk forced him into the corner and forced him to stand on the ropes. As Usyk prepared to land another punch, the referee suddenly intervened, claiming that Fury was too weak to fight back for the count. The 35-year-old managed to get up and regain consciousness before the referee counted to 10, but did not land any heavy punches in the remaining three rounds.

“In round nine, I got hurt and then I recovered. That’s what the King of the Ring does. I’m very grateful that we were both able to leave the ring,” Fury said.

The Briton continued to hint at a possible retirement, saying he wanted to spend time with his family and would speak to promoter Frank Warren about his next plans. “We’ve just been in the ring. You could see my face and I’ve been hit hard, and Usyk too,” Fury said. “We’ll go home, have a meal, have a beer, spend time with the family, walk the dog and see what happens.”

Not only did Fury’s dream of unifying the four most prestigious heavyweight boxing belts fall apart, he also suffered his first defeat in his professional career. Before losing to Usyk, the British boxer had drawn one and won 34, including 24 knockouts in 35 matches.

Johnny Nelson, who held the WBO cruiserweight title from 1999 to 2006, said Fury was so disappointed with the first defeat of his career that he could hang up his gloves. “Fury’s team have had serious conversations about motivating him and getting him back on his feet,” Nelson told Sky Sports . “Don’t be surprised if Fury retires. What more can he do? This defeat will affect Fury’s mentality and his heart.”