Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to retain his unified heavyweight world titles with another pulsating points victory in their rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Usyk first beat Fury in May to become boxing’s first four-belt heavyweight champion and he again prevailed by finishing 116-112 ahead on all three judges’ scorecards.
The win extends Usyk’s professional record to 23 victories with zero defeats and he could now face Daniel Dubois in an attempt to reclaim the IBF title he was stripped of earlier this year.
Fury, on the other hand, is left at something of a crossroads and his promoter, Frank Warren, said after the fight that it was “too early to say” whether the 36-year-old would now step away from the sport.
Fury possessed a six inch height, eight inch reach and four stone weight advantage over Usyk and made his physicality count in the early rounds.
And the former champion appeared to rock the reigning king with a straight right hand in the second round.
But, just as he did in the first fight, Usyk continued to target Fury’s body and eventually slowed the challenger down by peppering him with shots.
It nevertheless felt as though the fight was there for the taking in the championship rounds. But Usyk upped the ante and landed a series of eye-catching combinations, eventually winning the contest by a comfortable margin.
“He [Tyson Fury] is a great fighter, he is a great opponent. An unbelievable 24 rounds for my career. Thank you so much,” Usyk said afterwards.
The Ukrainian was then confronted in the ring by Daniel Dubois — the Briton he beat in August 2003 — who demanded a second fight. “I want my revenge,” Dubois said.
Usyk quickly agreed to his challenge. A second victory over Dubois would see Usyk regain the IBF title he lost after his first defeat of Fury.
Usyk was stripped of the title for not fighting the IBF’s mandatory challenger and instead pursuing a rematch with Fury, who left the ring after his second career defeat without conducting an interview.
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