Oleksandr Usyk has defeated Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
Fury and Usyk fought at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday night.
Usyk won the bout through a split decision, edging the Briton 115-112, 113-114, and 114-113 on the cards.
Fury came out strong in the early rounds of the bout but Usyk was able to stave off the British fighter’s onslaught.
The Ukrainian gained momentum as the fight progressed, with his superior footwork and technical skill allowing him to evade Fury’s powerful blows and land precise shots of his own.
The Ukrainian floored Fury in the ninth round which was the turning point of the much-anticipated fight.
Despite Fury’s valiant effort to recover in the final rounds, Usyk’s dominance had already sealed the victory.
The 37-year-old Ukrainian is the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since Lennox Lewis 25 years ago. He has now unified the WBA, WBO, IBF, and WBC titles.
For Fury, it is the first loss in his 16-year professional career — but he will have a chance at a rematch before the end of the year.
In his post-fight interview, the British boxer accused the judges of giving the victory to Usyk because of the war in Ukraine.
“His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war,” he said.
