Usyk becomes undisputed heavyweight champion with split-decision win over Fury

Oleksandr Usyk became the first four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion of the world with a split-decision win over Tyson Fury on Saturday night in Riyadh.

The judges scored the fight 115-112 for Usyk, 114-113 for Fury, leaving the final card to decide, which read 114-113 for Usyk.

The pair were meant to meet back in February, after months of delays and negotiations. Fury had elected to take on Francis Ngannou back in October, deciding not to put his title on the line and only just scraping by to keep his undefeated record intact.

As a result, Usyk had been put in with his mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, and his own record looked imperilled when he was flattened early with a blow which was controversially ruled to be illegally low. He then recovered strongly to stop the Briton.

As February rolled around, fans around the world were waiting with anticipation to discover who would become the first-ever undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era, only for disaster to strike when Fury was cut in sparring days from the fight. Stitches, recuperation and recalibration were needed.

With Fury apparently healed, there was speculation that the Ukrainian would target his injured areas – already damaged by a tough fight with Otto Wallin years ago – and suggestions Fury would work his opponent’s body.

On paper, Fury had the advantage. His 6’9” frame gave him six inches advantage, and a couple of stone advantage in weight, though with Fury noticeably trimmer compared to his physique for Ngannou, opinion was split: either it was a sign he was putting in the hours in the gym in a renewed display of commitment, or his weakened legs would not support his chin if he received a solid blow.

There was also the question of whether Fury’s mind games would work on Usyk. Fury had refused to even look at his rival at the press conference on Thursday, then launched head-first into him at Friday’s press conference, before he declared he was “coming for his heart.”

Usyk though, fights first of all with his head, and he appeared nonplussed by the agita that he was witnessing. He told his English nemesis that he would not leave him alone, suggesting he would be back to his persistent, relentless and dismantling best.

With 12 rounds scheduled, Fury’s trainer SugarHill Steward had said he anticipated Usyk would find himself on the canvas in the opening stanza. Former world champion Roy Jones Jr. had posited the first four rounds would see either fighter set the tone. Despite their heavyweight power, neither man was known as a knockout specialist, so attention also turned to their fitness and ability to go the distance.

The two best heavyweights on the planet started energetically with Fury looking far larger, with the British fighter holding the centre of the ring.

While both fighters had switched up their stances in their open workout, Fury started orthodox and Usyk stuck with southpaw.

Fury engaged in some mugging showboating in the corner after a couple of minutes, with his rival focused on the task at hand as he worked the body.

Usyk finished well in the first and caught his opponent in the early seconds of the following round, but Fury sent through several heavy blows towards the end with a few uppercuts and a decent right-hander.

In the third, Fury seemed content to keep his left arm out in order to keep Usyk at a distance in a round that started at a calmer pace and there were indications that Fury’s nose was troubling him, while the Ukrainian might have been feeling the cumulative pain from blows to the torso.

The next saw Usyk start brightly and fizz in a couple of left-handers that made audibly thudding contact, but Fury responded well and switched to southpaw. Again, the WBC champ was content to goad his man and stick out his chin.

Neither man was showing too much wear and tear as they went into the fifth, and Fury started to work the body and amongst some decent connections he was warned over a low blow, and caught Usyk on the head too.

Fury’s eyes were holding up well and showed no sign of being split, and he continued to keep his movement busy as he continued his improvement into the middle stages of the rounds and clattered in a huge body shot that had Usyk slowing down, and he repeated the trick seconds later as Usyk looked rattled with a minute left of the round to survive.

Another body shot landed from Fury, but he seemed content to leave himself the remaining six rounds to work through and Usyk took to his chair and shook off the flurry.

For Usyk, he must have known he was behind on the scorecard and losing momentum, so the pressure was on him to change his rhythm. While he had slowed down and moved his head less, he managed to fire in some fierce efforts just before the bell – it seemed he was looking to force his comeback.

At the start of the eighth Usyk showed some more fire in his fists but Fury’s frame continued to loom over him. The championship rounds were fast approaching and the blood was starting to appear in splatters on both men.

The pressure was on both men in the ninth. A win for Usyk would put him within touching distance of parity, while for Fury a strong display would have taken him just a couple of safe rounds from the win and demoralised his opponent.

Usyk kept coming – he no longer had a choice – but Fury was pushed back to the ropes without taking a great deal of punishment even as he, too, slowed down his defence. Both men had rarely been tested in such sustained fashion and they were evidently tiring despite the months of training.

Then, dramatically, with less than half a minute to go, a brutal effort from Usyk had Fury bouncing off the ropes, rattled and reeling, with the unified champion racing into batter him. Fury did not look right and was almost escorted back to his corner when he had 60 seconds to recover.

Three rounds remained for both men in Saudi.

With the bell sounding the heart rates of both men and everyone in the arena must have been racing and at the start of the 10th it was Usyk who looked the stronger man and Fury’s face even looked crumpled.

Usyk changed tack and went for the body in the first minute, and cheers rang out from both sets of fans. Usyk sent in a long left and had Fury back in his corner, and now it was Usyk who shuffled some showboating, but perhaps that was to gain a breath himself. Less than a minute left of the round as both men seemed to be keeping their powder dry for one glorious and desperate finale.

The 11th saw Fury far calmer and more assured, perhaps buoyed by Usyk’s inability to follow up in that previous round, and Usyk complained about a punch to the back of his head which brought no censure from the referee.

Usyk was stalking down his man but he dropped his hands as he did so, and a fierce body shot from Fury reminded his opponent that there was a world champion opposite him. The pair allowed the bell to greet them to usher in the final break, neither man sure of their fate yet, victory close enough to tempt them into one final heave.

Usyk briefly threatened another flurry but Fury grabbed his man in a headlock briefly and with two minutes remaining, no result looked likelier than another. 90 seconds, both men were guarded and reticent. 60 seconds, Fury took a right-hand from Usyk before returning the favour. 30 seconds, both of them still going, almost spent but not giving up. 10 seconds, one last exchange and the two embraced.

Fury raised his hand but attention turned to the judges, and it was Usyk who was declared the winner.

Attention will now turn to the fallout and aftermath. Both fighters are well into their thirties and both or either could be tempted to retire after earning huge sums from this fight alone.

Alternatively, the financial rewards on offer could mean Usyk wants to run it back regardless, having made history already, while Fury could surely be tempted to gain revenge and all four belts for himself.

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