Usyk has successfully defended his undisputed heavyweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Tyson Fury on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Judges Gerardo Martinez, Patrick Morley, and Ignacio Robles all scored the fight 116-112 in favour of Usyk.
Usyk landed 179 of his 423 punches, achieving a 42 percent accuracy rate, compared to Fury, who landed 144 of 509 punches at a 28 percent rate. When asked about the judges’ scores, Usyk declined to comment, stating,
“I win, it’s good. Not my deal. I win. Thank you, God.”
The fight which was a rematch from Fury’s first professional loss in May, began with Fury controlling the early rounds. However, Usyk responded by targeting the body and connecting with power combinations to the head. Fury landed significant punches in the fifth round, but Usyk regained momentum in the sixth with a powerful left hand that staggered his opponent twice.
In the later rounds, Fury’s additional weight appeared to slow him down, allowing Usyk to capitalise with his speed and precision. A determined Fury surged in the 10th round, landing a late uppercut, but Usyk’s consistent jab and blistering combinations in the 11th kept him in control.
The final round saw both fighters exchange flurries of punches, but it was Usyk who left a lasting impression on the judges.
An experimental AI judge, announced earlier in the week by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh, also scored the fight 118-112 in Usyk’s favour.
Fury left the ring immediately after the decision but later told reporters he believed he had won by at least three rounds, saying,
“I thought I’ve won both fights, but then again I’ve got two losses on my record now, so there’s not much I can do about it. I’ll always believe until the day I die that I won that fight.”
Only three belts were contested as the IBF stripped Usyk for not facing its mandatory challenger, Daniel Dubois. Dubois interrupted Usyk’s post-fight interview, demanding a rematch from their August 2023 bout, which Usyk won by ninth-round knockout.
Responding to Dubois, Usyk said,
“Your Excellency, make me fight with Daniel. Thank you so much.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
Follow us on:
