
On the night of May 18, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision in a dramatic battle to capture the undisputed championship at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
With the victory, Usyk became the second former undisputed cruiserweight champion, after Evander Holyfield, to repeat that feat at heavyweight.
Fury was successful in the early rounds, attacking Usyk with jarring rights to the body and powerful uppercuts. Usyk stunned Fury with a left hand in the ninth round that sent him reeling against the ropes. A series of power punches, punctuated by another crunching left hand, sent Fury staggering. Referee Mark Nelson gave Fury a standing count and moments later the bell rang to end the round.
Fury showed magnificent resolve and somehow recovered, but the tide turned. The 223-pound Usyk was pushing the pace against the 262-pound giant, winning the 10th and 11th rounds on two of the scorecards to secure the victory. Fury rallied to win 12th on all three scorecards, but it was too late.
This weekend Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury step into the ring once more on Saturday night in the second instalment of his gripping heavyweight rivalry.
The victor will finish 2024 as the unified world heavyweight champion. The undefeated Usyk can cement his legacy as an all-time great with another victory over Fury, while the Brit is bidding for revenge following that split decision loss in May to become a three-time world champion.
WBC Heavyweight Championship
Kingdom Arena, Riyadh
December , 2024
15:00 – USA (gmt)
16:00 – México
17:00 – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, USA (et)
18:00 – Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay
19:00 – Uruguay, Argentina
21:00 – Spain
22:00 – United Kingdome
23:00 – Ireland
24:00 – Saudi Arabia
03:00 – India (Sunday)
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