The highly anticipated heavyweight title bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk definitely lived up to the hype after the two undefeated fighters went the distance in a thrilling back-and-forth battle. In the end, two judges scored the fight in favor of Usyk, who becomes the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era.
The judges scored it 115-112, 114-113 and 113-114.
Fury narrowly escaped defeat in his last fight against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, and once again couldn't maintain his championship form versus Usyk on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fury may have underestimated both Ngannou and Usyk and Saturday's loss might be further evidence of a steady decline after a long reign as the WBC heavyweight champion.
Usyk's technical prowess and consistency paid off in the later rounds after Fury dominated the middle rounds. Usyk was able to rally toward the end of the fight and scored a knockdown on Fury in the ninth round. Initially considered an underdog, Usyk's odds climbed as the fight neared, but Fury still entered the ring as the favorite after looking absolutely fit at Friday's weigh-in.
After the fight, Fury said he intends to enact the rematch clause against Usyk and fight him again in October.
It’s been a two-horse race at the top of the p4p rankings between Inoue and Crawford, and rightfully so, but how do you not consider Usyk in that mix now, too? Undisputed at Cruiserweight and now heavyweight. Hands Tyson his first loss. Two over AJ. Quite the resume.
Wow I have Usyk winning. Great fight. Mostly Tyson in the beginning. Usyk looked gassed but found life with a big Left. Fury was never able to get back full control. GREAT FIGHT
— ShowtimeShawn Porter (@ShowtimeShawnP) May 18, 2024
Mark Nelson deserves credit for taking Fury's history of overcoming trouble into account & not stopping this fight in the 9th round. Some refs might not have given him that opportunity. #FuryUsyk
Another round for Usyk!! Both guys gotta FINISH!! Think we gotta tie game people
— ShowtimeShawn Porter (@ShowtimeShawnP) May 18, 2024
Yahoo Sports Staff
Usyk's in the zone now and wins another round. Fury seemed to recover well, but the momentum has completely shifted in Usyk's favor,. Two rounds left to decide the undisputed heavyweight champion!
Fury fighting on his backfoot to start the 9th while Usyk is picking up his pace. Fury's right eye seems to be bothering him.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Big comeback round for Usyk in the 8th. He's not backing down and caught Fury a few times with some great counters. Fury has proven he can take big shots though and Usyk has hardly invested in the body.
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) May 18, 2024
Yahoo Sports Staff
Usyk landed some big shots at the end of the 7th. Not enough to take the round, but he's still dangerous. Fury's showboating could end up costing him if he's not careful.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Fury has outlanded Usyk, 101-72 through six rounds. Has thrown over 100 more punches, per @CompuBox
Great close round!! Fury’s clowning is smoke and mirrors. He’s not as comfy as he’s trying to make Usyk believe…. I’d like to see him push Usyk back. I think that’s where he’ll have the most success
— ShowtimeShawn Porter (@ShowtimeShawnP) May 18, 2024
Heavyweight: Oleksandr Usyk def. Tyson Fury by split decision (115-112, 114-113, 113-114) Cruiserweight: Jai Opetaia def. Mairis Breidis by unanimous decision (117-111, 116-112, 116-112) Super featherweight: Anthony Cacace def. Joe Cordina via TKO at 0:39 of R8 Heavyweight: Agit Kabayel def. Frank Sanchez by KO at 2:33 of R7 Heavyweight: Moses Itauma def. Ilja Mezencev by TKO at 0:50 of R2 Lightweight: Mark Chamberlain def. Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab by TKO at 2:42 of R1 Light heavyweights: Robin Sirwan Safar def. Sergey Kovalev by unanimous decision 97-92, 99-90, 95-94 Cruiserweight: David Nyika def. Michael Seitz by TKO at 2:45 of R4
Lewis Hamilton has accused Max Verstappen of not acting like a world champion after the Dutchman told his critics to “turn the volume down” if they do not like his language. Verstappen, who is likely to serve a 10-place grid penalty at Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix for exceeding his permitted engine parts, has faced a backlash after he turned the airwaves blue in Hungary last weekend.
Manchester United’s academy staff have been left “shocked”, “upset” and in some cases “angry” at the news that several respected, long-serving coaches could lose their jobs in the cost-cutting drive at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s search for a right-back may have taken a positive turn following the breakdown of talks between West Ham United and Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui.
THE INDEPENDENT DEBATE: The comments came after the BBC published its annual report including its top paid stars, featuring Gary Lineker, Zoe Ball and Huw Edwards
A new sports competition plans to encourage athletes to use performance enhancing drugs. William Hosie chats with the Enhanced Games poster boy, ex-top swimmer James Magnusen
Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather and Lennox Lewis are among the boxing greats who have cut their teeth at the Olympics, with a new generation of fighters eager to follow in their footsteps in Paris.Led in the past by boxers such as Ali, Mayweather, George Foreman, Roy Jones Jr and Evander Holyfield, the United States is the most successful nation in the history of Olympic boxing.
The 20-year-old tennis star will become the first U.S. tennis player and youngest American flagbearer in Olympic history during the 2024 opening ceremony
While Paris is particularly vulnerable to urban heat effects, heavy rain could also be a factor during the Olympic Games. CNN’s Derek Van Dam speaks to the meteorologists responsible for monitoring incoming severe weather, informing the Olympic committee on the potential impacts.
A member of coaching staff on the Canadian women’s football team has been handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence after using a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session.