Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a rematch of their explosive May matchup, in which Fury suffered his first professional loss.
Oleksandr Usyk has defeated Tyson Fury in their highly-anticipated in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the fight being decided via unanimous decision. An AI judge also scored the contest 118-112 in Usyk’s favor.
In defeating Fury, Usyk retained the WBA, WBO, and WBC heavyweight championship belts in the fierce clash. Heading into the fight, Usyk was favored to win, based on his impressive victory in May which saw the Ukrainian almost stopping Fury in the ninth round. With the win, Usyk improved to 23-0.
Throughout the fight, the two men traded hits, trying to get an idea of how to attack their opponent, with Fury landing heavy blows on Usyk. However, Fury began landing blows in the fifth round, with Usyk seemingly unable to capitalize or respond in turn as the Brit gained confidence.
Usyk bounced back the next round, landing an impressive combo on Fury, causing him to stagger slightly. For the rest of the fight, the two exchanged combos, with no fighter fully making their mark until the end of the bout.
It remains to be seen what is next for both men, as Fury has stated in the past that he wants to have a trilogy against Usyk. Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua remains in the wings, waiting for his opportunity to strike for gold against the right opponent.
Heading into the clash, Fury came into the fight weighing in at 281 pounds, the heaviest he had ever been in his career. In his first matchup with the Ukrainian in May, the Brit weighed in at a hefty 262 pounds, though it must be noted that his most recent weigh-in came when he was fully clothed.
Fury’s previous high weight was 277 pounds, which was when he took on Francis Ngannou last year. The bout was a lot closer than even the boxing star expected it to be. Despite the increased weight, Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, believed that the difference was negligible when the two finally began fighting.
“There’s going to be a war tomorrow,” Warren said. “Tyson has come to get those belts back; that’s what he’s here for, that’s what he’s sacrificed for, and I believe that’s what he’ll do.
“He’s heavier but I think the other guy is as well. You can analyze it what ever way you like but tomorrow night, we’re going to find out who is the best. You know both guys are coming to fight; it’s going to be exciting and you’re going to see something extra, extra special.”
Source: https://www.the-express.com/sport/boxing/158296/Tyson-Fury-Oleksandr-Usyk-boxing-results