Oleksandr Usyk celebrates his second victory over Tyson Fury which cements his place as a boxing great (Image: PA)
gave a narrow victory over on his unofficial scorecard, with just one point separating the pair. Joshua, who was not present at the ringside in Saudi Arabia as he had been for the first fight seven months ago, watched from home and scored the final round a draw, resulting in a final score of 115-114 in favour of Usyk, 37.
The Ukrainian’s performance solidified his status as an all-time great and he could now aim to become the undisputed champion for the second time against IBF champion Daniel Dubois. While Joshua, who himself lost twice to Usyk, didn’t agree with the margin of victory – 116-112 on all three judges’ cards – he had the Ukrainian down as the winner.
Posting on his after the fight, Joshua shared a flag emoji with the word “respect” added underneath. Fury’s team didn’t agreed with either the judges or Joshua, with the Morecambe fighter for Usyk and his promoter
Fury, who weighed in at a fully-clothed 20stones 1lbs, almost four stone heavier than Usyk, took control of the ring from the outset, showing a clear intent to take the fight to his opponent.
Despite being significantly taller than the champion, the Briton was also taking body shots and by the second round, he was being pursued around the ring by Usyk. The pace was dictated by Usyk, but both fighters were landing blows in an energetic start to the bout, with Fury’s jab causing issues.
In a thrilling fourth round, Usyk landed two powerful left hands in a match that was neck and neck as it neared the halfway point. Fury managed to shake the Ukrainian with a swift left uppercut, retaliating fiercely after enduring a barrage of body blows.
Unlike their first encounter, which resulted in the Brit’s first career defeat, there was no showboating from the challenger this time around. Fury dominated the fifth round, utilising his size and strength effectively while maintaining precision with his jab.
Most observers had Oleksandr Usyk down as the winner (Image: Getty Images)
However, he found himself on the receiving end of several hits in the sixth round. His performance began to wane, and he was forced on the defensive by Usyk’s troublesome left hand.
Usyk maintained relentless pressure, executing a beautiful series of shots in the eighth round and concluding the three minutes by cornering Fury against the ropes. The ninth round, which had been a pivotal moment in their May bout when Fury, 36, was saved by the bell, lacked the same drama this time.
However, Usyk demonstrated similar determination, steadily building momentum. He swarmed over his larger opponent in the 10th round, absorbing hits himself. As the final two rounds approached, it was clear that Fury needed to pull out all the stops to impress the judges.
A fierce final round saw the competitors trading punches, each showcasing moments of brilliance in a high-quality finale brimming with bravery and skill. Once more, the judges were tasked with determining the victor and there was no room for dispute as Usyk was declared the definitive winner on all cards, cementing his status as the reigning powerhouse of the division.