Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) suffered a defeat at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) by decision after 12 rounds in their undisputed heavyweight championship bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Following the fight, Fury fell into a state of despair, experiencing the bitter pain of a defeated champion. The former WBC heavyweight champion complained bitterly after the match, believing that he had won and that Usyk was awarded the victory because he hails from Ukraine, a country currently at war with Russia. The scores were 115-112, 114-113 for Usyk, and 114-113 for Fury.
“I scored it 115-112 for Usyk. I believe I won that fight,” Fury stated. “I think Usyk won a few rounds, but I won the majority, and I believe it was one of those controversial boxing decisions. Both of us fought our hardest, did the best we could.”
“You know, his country is at war, so people are siding with a country at war.” Some argued that Fury should consider himself lucky that referee Mark Nelson didn’t stop the fight in the ninth round after he was beaten by Usyk’s flurry of punches. “The fight should have been stopped,” they claimed. Additionally, Fury’s high-waisted shorts covered much of his midsection, leaving Usyk with little target area for body shots.
A deeply emotional Oleksandr Usyk shed tears in memory of his late father after defeating Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Usyk dismissed concerns that he might have broken his jaw, although he left the ring limping, and it was unclear where he had been injured.
Usyk stated that he now wants to focus on his family rather than boxing. He missed his daughter’s birthday during his eight-month training camp.