By Eric Armit
OLEKSANDR Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion as he floored Tyson Fury and went on to stage a strong finish to overcome Fury’s lead and take home the split decision. Here’s how it went down, session by session.
Round 1
Plenty of probing jabs with Fury on the back foot and southpaw Usyk aiming left hands to the body. Not a lot of clear scoring. What little there was came from Usyk.
Score: 10-9 Usyk
Round 2
Usyk pinned Fury against the ropes and landed a right and left but Fury scored with another right to the body and worked his jab, doing enough to win a close round.
Score: 10-9 Fury (19-19)
Round 3
Usyk was still coming forward and connected with a right and left. Plenty of jabs from Fury as he slid away from Usyk’s punches. Fury landed to the body then clinched before getting through with a couple of rights.
Score: 10-9 Fury (Fury 29-28)
Round 4
Fury upped his pace and scored with a sneaky uppercut as Usyk struggled to pin him down. Fury stood in the corner, wide open, with his arms spread along the top ropes. Usyk was not quick enough to take advantage and the Ukrainian suffered a small cut over his right eye.
Score: 10-9 Fury (Fury 39-37)
Fury about to unload another shot on Usyk (Getty Images)
Round 5
Fury was jabbing and moving with Usyk unable to cut off the ring. Fury held him off with jabs and scored with a right to the body. Best round so far for Fury.
Score: 10-9 Fury (Fury 49-46)
Round 6
Usyk was having trouble getting past Fury’s jab. Fury bobbed and weaved around Usyk’s punches and connected with a hard right uppercut. Usyk just couldn’t get close and was sent back to the ropes by a right uppercut. Fury was coming forward and scoring.
Score: 10-9 Fury (Fury 59-55)
Round 7
Fury stayed on the back foot with Usyk hunting him down but being picked off with jabs at a distance. Usyk scored with a strong left, then with Fury against the ropes, landed a couple of good rights but Fury’s early work netted him the round.
Score: 10-9 Fury (Fury 69-64)
Round 8
Usyk put in a big effort to change the course of the fight. Usyk was getting past Fury’s jab, scoring with short punches inside. Landing a right hook, this was Usyk’s best round so far.
Score: 10-9 Usyk (Fury 78-74)
Oleksandr Usyk lands a left hand on Tyson Fury during their heavyweight fight at Kingdom Arena on May 18, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Round 9
Fury was slowing but landed some good rights before Usyk connected with a heavy right to the head that had Fury reeling into the ropes. Usyk followed up with a series of head punches. Fury staggered; he was badly hurt.
He stumbled along the ropes with Usyk in pursuit and flopped into a corner. Held up by the ropes, Tyson was given a standing count by referee Mark Nelson. The bell went at the end of the count with Fury unsteady.
Score: 10-8 Usyk (Fury 86-84)
Round 10
Usyk was looking to end this but Fury stuck close to the ropes and covered up. Usyk landed a couple of lefts to the head but backed off, looking to draw Fury forward. Usyk was missing his chance to build on the ninth round. Fury recovered and landed a good right. Usyk won the round but blew his chance of a stoppage.
Score: 10-9 Usyk (Fury 95-94)
Round 11
Usyk put Fury under pressure from the start as Fury moved inside and clinched. Usyk connected with a right to the body and a left to the head. Fury scored with a right hook counter and Usyk responded with a left before the bell.
Score: 10-9 Usyk (tied 104-104)
Round 12
As the final round commenced, Usyk continued his aggressive strategy, landing powerful rights. However, Fury managed to find openings and retaliated with his own rights. Usyk’s jabs and strategic moves allowed him to narrowly secure the round, showcasing the high level of skill and strategy in this match.
Score: 10-9 Usyk (Usyk wins 114-113)
Official Scores: 115-112 Usyk, 114-113 Usyk, 114-113 Fury.
Overall, it was a great fight worthy of a decider for the undisputed championship. The scores were so close that one round or even one punch could have changed the result. Usyk will now take a break to be with his family.
The plan is for a return later in the year, with Fury indicating he might take another fight before their return. Their reputations were high before this fight and both enhanced their standing even further.