In a historic showdown on Saturday night, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, marking a pivotal moment in boxing history. Usyk joins the ranks of Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue as one of the few male fighters to achieve undisputed status across two weight classes in the four-belt era. The Ukrainian fighter previously held the undisputed title at cruiserweight.
The bout defied expectations as Fury, known for his size and power, initially outboxed Usyk with precise jabs and effective body shots. Despite Fury’s dominance in the early rounds, Usyk’s relentless pressure and strategic counterattacks shifted the fight’s momentum in Round 7.
The turning point came in Round 9 when Usyk landed a series of powerful blows, culminating in a devastating straight left to Fury’s jaw. Fury stumbled, appearing out on his feet, before leaning on the ropes to avoid losing his legs and crashing to the canvas. Although he beat the 10-count, the bell saved him from a possible knockout.
Usyk maintained his aggression, outworking Fury in the remaining rounds to secure a split decision victory with scores of 115-112, 113-114, and 114-113. The win makes Usyk the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999 and the first of the four-belt era.
Fury, who suffered the first defeat of his career, expressed his belief that he won the fight and announced his intention to activate the rematch clause in his contract. He controversially suggested that the judges’ decision might have been influenced by sympathy for Usyk due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“I believe I won that fight,” Fury stated. “His country is at war, some people are siding with the country at war. Make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion, and I’ll be back. I got a rematch clause.”
Usyk responded positively to the prospect of a rematch, stating, “Yes, of course. If he wants, I’m ready for a rematch.”
The undercard featured several notable bouts. Jai Opetaia reclaimed the cruiserweight title with a decisive win over Mairis Briedis, and Anthony Cacace pulled off a significant upset by defeating Joe Cordina to claim the IBF super featherweight title. Additionally, Agit Kabayel, Moses Itauma, Mark Chamberlain, Robin Sirwan Safar, and David Nyika all secured victories in their respective fights.
Fight Card Results:
– Oleksandr Usyk (c) def. Tyson Fury (c) via split decision (115-112, 113-114, 114-113)
– Jai Opetaia (c) def. Mairis Briedis via unanimous decision (117-111, 116-112, 116-112)
– Anthony Cacace def. Joe Cordina (c) via eighth-round knockout
– Agit Kabayel def. Frank Sanchez via seventh-round knockout
– Moses Itauma def. Ilja Mezencev via second-round knockout
– Mark Chamberlain def. Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab** via first-round knockout
-Robin Sirwan Safar def. Sergey Kovalev via unanimous decision (97-92, 99-90, 95-94)
-David Nyika def. Michael Seitz via sixth-round knockout
