Tommy Fury has broken his silence as to why he pulled out of his fight with Jake Paul.
The younger half-brother of world champion Tyson and Love Island star was set to square off with the YouTuber on December 18 in Tampa, Florida.
However, it was confirmed on Monday that the fight had been called off, with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley stepping in for a rematch with Paul.
Tommy Fury has been forced to withdraw from his grudge match with YouTuber Jake Paul
Fury in a statement has revealed that he was forced to withdraw from the fight and hopes to get the fight rescheduled.
He said: 'I am absolutely heartbroken that I have been forced to withdraw from my fight with Jake Paul due to a bacterial chest infection and broken rib.
'The beginning of my camp was going so incredibly and I never expected anything to come in my way from a victory on December 18th.
Fury revealed he has a 'bacterial chest infection and broken rib' which forced him to withdraw
'I can't express how disappointed I am and I really do hope we can get this fight rescheduled in the new year, I want this fight to still happen more than anything.
'I'm now regretfully putting my focus on recovery and a further reschedule date.'
The pair had agreed to fight after months of exchanging words on social media.
Fury had been training with his brother, world heavyweight champion Tyson, and his dad John for the fight, which would have been the first headline bout of his career.
Paul slammed Fury in an Instagram post when announcing Fury's withdrawal on Monday
He made his US debut earlier this year on the undercard of Paul's fight with Woodley, beating Anthony Taylor in a dominant four-round unanimous decision.
Fury's promoter Frank Warren has confirmed they'll be working with Jake Paul's team to see if they can reschedule for the new year.
The younger Paul brother will instead face Woodley who suffered a split
