Oleksandr Usyk was crowned the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since 2000 after defeating Tyson Fury via split decision Saturday night in Riyadh. Both fighters were evenly matched throughout the early portion of the fight, but it was the Ukrainian who pulled away in the final four rounds.
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The decisive moment of the bout took place in the ninth round, when Usyk landed a devastating left hook to Fury’s chin. The Brit was immediately left dazed by the punch, stumbling around the ring and struggling to gain his footing.
Usyk nearly won the fight then and there, but was unable to finish off Fury before the bell sounded. He instead settled for a scored knockdown, which ended up being the deciding factor that earned him the victory.
Fury appeared to be gaining momentum in the prior rounds, landing multiple significant shots all while showboating around the ring. The towering boxer wobbled Usyk in the sixth round with two brutal uppercuts, later drawing blood in the seventh with a strong right-hand.
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But Usyk fought back in the eighth round, bloodying Fury after connecting on a left-hand shot above his eye. Following a dominant showing in the ninth round, he did all that was needed in the final three to earn the victory.
The judges scorecards showed just how close the bout was. The first official scored it 115-112 in favour of Usyk, while the second gave it to Fury, 114-113. The deciding judge ultimately ruled in favour of Usyk, 114-113.
The stats from the evening further prove that Usyk deserved to win the WBC heavyweight belt. The WBA, WBO and IBF champion landed 170 punches on 407 thrown, connecting at a 42% rate. Fury, meanwhile, landed 157 punches but threw 496, thus connecting on only 32% of his shots.
"Is great time. Is great day," Usyk said after the fight. "Is big opportunity for my team, for my family, for my country!"
Despite suffering a knockdown and landing less punches than his opponent, Fury asserted afterwards that he deserved to win the fight. The 35-year-old argued that fans were siding with Usyk because his native Ukraine is at war with Russia.
"I believe I won that fight. I believe he won a few of the rounds but I won the majority of them. What can you do?" Fury said. "We both put on a good fight, best we could do. His country's at war, so people are siding with the country at war, but make no mistake, I won that fight and I'll be back. I've got a rematch clause."
Usyk swiftly accepted the challenge, and appears poised to enter the rematch with Fury as the betting favourite.
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