Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk has retained his WBA (Super), WBO and WBC world heavyweight titles by unanimous decision against Britain's Tyson Fury to remain undefeated after an enthralling clash in Riyadh.
Giving up advantages in height, weight and reach to his much bigger opponent, Usyk fought superbly throughout at the Kingdom Arena on Saturday to win 116-112 on all three judges’ scorecards as he again defeated Fury after his success in May made him the undisputed champion.
Fury, 36, was much-improved from that first encounter where he wilted in the ninth round but could still not solve the puzzle posed by the 37-year-old Usyk, whose superb movement saw him force the Briton onto the back foot for much of the bout.
Tipping the scales at a career-high 127kg, 25kg heavier than Usyk, Fury started at a high tempo and tried to control the centre of the ring using his jab, but the Ukrainian matched him and tried back his opponent up by ducking inside and unleashing combinations.
By the fourth round Usyk started to find the range for his left hand, but Fury adjusted and went hard to the body in the fifth as the fight ebbed and flowed.
Fury appeared to be stung late in the sixth with a right hand to the body followed by a sharp left that struck him on the forehead, and by the seventh he slowed, moving to southpaw late in the round as he struggled with fatigue.
Fury’s reliance on hard shots in ones and twos to the body did little to stop Usyk from marching forward, usually finishing his flurries with his fearsome left hand.
A good start to the 10th by Fury did not last and Usyk was soon back controlling the angles, finishing the frame at a furious pace and coasting through the final two rounds take a convincing victory.
Usyk paid tribute to Fury.
"He's a great fighter, a great opponent and it was a great 24 rounds. Unbelievable 24 rounds in my career. Thank you so much," Usyk said.
Usyk was called out in the ring by Britain's Daniel Dubois, who he beat with a ninth-round stoppage in controversial circumstances in August 2023 after a fifth-round knockdown of Usyk was ruled to have been a low blow.
Usyk replied: "Your excellency, make the fight with Daniel Dubois. Thank you so much.
"I can do more. I'm ready to fight (Dubois), no problem. Next fight no problem."
Disappointed by the second loss of his professional career, Fury left the ring without speaking but later claimed he'd been dudded for a second time.
"I was quite confident. I thought I won that fight again... I thought I've won both fights," Fury said. "But then again, I've gone home with two losses on my record now, so there's not much I can do about it."
Earlier, Australian heavyweight Demsey McKean was stopped inside two minutes by unbeaten British teen sensation Moses Itauma in their fight on the undercard.
Slovakia-born Itauma, 19, made quick work of the fight, sending McKean to the canvas.
