In a sold-out Kingdom Arena, Oleksandr Usyk secured a split-decision victory over Tyson Fury in Round 9, becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion nearly 25 years after Lennox Lewis’s reign.
The anticipation paid off, as both men put on a fight worthy of the prize they were vying for.
While one judge gave the fight to Fury with a score of 114-113, the other two judges favored Usyk with scores of 114-113 and 115-112, resulting in Fury’s first professional defeat.
“It’s [a] big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country, for history,” Usyk, who resides in war-torn Ukraine, said. “It’s [a] great day.”
Usyk, holding the WBA, IBF, and WBO belts, secured Fury’s WBC title, making him the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era. Additionally, he claimed the lineal heavyweight championship, a title previously held by Fury since 2015 after defeating Usyk’s fellow countryman, Wladimir Klitschko.
“I believe I won the fight, but I’m not going to sit here and cry and make excuses,” said Fury, who owned a 39-pound and 6-inch advantage over Usyk.
“I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them. What can you do? We both put on a good fight, the best we could do. … People are siding with the country at war. But make no mistake, I won that fight … and I’ll be back. We’ve got a rematch clause.”
"His country is at war so people are siding with someone whose country is at war. I won that fight.”
— Tyson Fury on the Usyk decisionpic.twitter.com/m0IpLhJeQ2
— THE CRUISE TV (@the_cruisetv) May 19, 2024
After the fight, Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) received four stitches to close a cut above his right eye, as reported by his promoter, Alexander Krassyuk of K2 Promotions. Additionally, there were concerns about a possible broken jaw, prompting Usyk to undergo an MRI at a local hospital. Interestingly, Usyk’s assistant trainer and cutman, Russ Anber, mentioned that the fighter didn’t express any jaw pain until after the bout.
Krassyuk assured ESPN that there is no uncertainty: Usyk will indeed be prepared for the scheduled October 12 rematch.
In Round 9, Usyk, aged 37, seemed close to defeating Fury. He connected with 14 powerful shots, causing the Englishman to stagger around the ring. The final punch made Fury slump into the ropes, resulting in the ninth knockdown of his remarkable career. However, before Usyk could capitalize on this, the round concluded. By Round 10, Fury had recovered after a minute of rest.
Tyson Fury on why he feels he should have won the match with Oleksandr Usyk : “His country is at war so people are siding with someone whose country is at war. I believe i won that fight.” #FuryUsyk
The Match : pic.twitter.com/Fg3irNJZ64
— NO CONTEXT (@no_c0ntext) May 19, 2024
While Usyk didn’t secure a knockout against Fury, he decisively turned the tide in his favor during Rounds 8-10. The judges unanimously scored those rounds in his favor, allowing him to establish a lead. Although Fury ultimately won the final round, it was too little, too late.
Despite his loss, Fury made a strong comeback after his lackluster performance in October against Francis Ngannou. In that bout, Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, stepped into professional boxing for the first time. Although Fury was knocked down in Round 3, he ultimately secured a split decision victory in a nontitle fight.
In his bout against Usyk, “The Gypsy King” showcased exquisite boxing skills. He skillfully employed feints and a long jab to keep Usyk at bay. Additionally, he frequently landed a sharp right uppercut that connected with Usyk.
In Rounds 5-7, Fury secured unanimous victories and even taunted Usyk by putting his hands behind his back and smirking after landing powerful body shots. However, Usyk remained unfazed, maintaining relentless pressure that gradually wore down Fury.
Usyk successfully pushed Fury against the ropes and started landing his overhand left, the same punch that had secured his victories over Joshua in 2021 and 2022, leading to his unified heavyweight championship.
Fury stepped into the ring as ESPN’s top-ranked heavyweight and the No. 10 pound-for-pound boxer. Meanwhile, Usyk held the No. 2 spot in the heavyweight division and was ranked third pound-for-pound.
The fight, initially slated for February 17, was delayed due to Fury sustaining a cut during sparring that necessitated 11 stitches above his right eye just two weeks before the scheduled date. In the match against Usyk, Fury incurred another cut, this time over his left eye.
Usyk delivered a career-defining performance, securing a ninth-round knockout victory over Daniel Dubois in Poland last August. Notably, Klitschko was present at ringside, alongside Lewis and Holyfield. It’s worth mentioning that Klitschko’s brother, Vitali, a former heavyweight champion himself, currently serves as the mayor of Kiev.
During the post-fight news conference, Oleksandr Usyk received two flags signed by the Ukrainian military, who were defending their homeland against Russian forces at the border.
“They are real heroes,” Krassyuk said. “Usyk is fighting because of them, because they give him this possibility.”
As the bout with Fury concluded, Usyk reflected on his father, who passed away shortly after Usyk’s victory at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Unfortunately, Usyk couldn’t personally give him the medal.
During the post-fight news conference on Sunday, Usyk became emotional on the stage, tearfully expressing, “I feel his presence here with me.”
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