Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk defeated British boxer Tyson Fury according to the judges' decision, claiming the title of undisputed heavyweight world champion.

Here are more details about the fight.

The Usyk-Fury fight took place in the capital of Saudi Arabia after the presentation by the iconic announcer Michael Buffer at 01:40. Before the fight, both the Ukrainian and the Briton held all the important belts – WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO, and WBC, so the undisputed heavyweight world champion title was at stake. The fight lasted all 12 rounds.

In the early rounds, Fury acted from a position of strength. He mostly stayed in the center of the ring and tried to control all of Usyk's attempts to increase the pace. However, the Ukrainian boxer landed a few good shots on the Briton, forcing him to change tactics.

In the fifth to eighth rounds, the Gypsy King took the initiative. Fury tried to catch Usyk off guard and managed to find such an opportunity in the 6th round, stunning his opponent with a counterpunch. Usyk endured a tough period.

The main event happened in the 9th round. Usyk increased the speed of his actions and forced Fury to open up. The Ukrainian boxer unleashed a barrage of punches – the Briton dropped his hands and practically stopped defending himself. Gypsy King found himself on the ropes, but the referee delayed the decision to count to 10, and when they were over, the bell rang.

In the championship rounds, both boxers were cautious. Fury miraculously recovered quickly after the knockdown. Each of the champions tried to score points with the judges, so they simply tried to land at least a few body shots.

The judges' opinions on the winner of the showdown were divided. Two out of three judges favored Usyk – 115:112, 114:113. Meanwhile, one judge recorded a minimal victory for Fury – 114:113. This result made a rematch inevitable.

What Usyk's victory over Fury means

Usyk became the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in 24 years. He solidified his place alongside the Klitschko brothers in the Ukrainian boxing pantheon. In 2011, Volodymyr Klitschko closed the circle of all championship belts in the family, defeating WBA champion David Haye by judges' decision. The younger of the brothers already controlled the WBO, IBF, and IBO titles, while the older brother had the WBC belt.

How much Usyk and Fury earned for the fight on May 18

Official data on fees were not disclosed. Gypsy King supposedly earned $69 million for entering the ring. Meanwhile, Usyk enriched himself with half that amount - $34 million. The British press predicted a prize distribution ratio of 70/30 in favor of Fury.

The promoter of the British boxer, Frank Warren, hinted that his client's fee could even reach $100 million. The Ukrainian champion agreed to a lower prize, including taking a promise from Fury to donate £1 million to one of the Ukrainian charities.

When will the Usyk - Fury rematch take place

The fight is planned to take place in October this year. Its winner will no longer hold the title of undisputed champion. The International Boxing Federation (IBF) decided that Usyk had delayed the mandatory defense of the championship belt, so he will lose this title in the summer.

Who will Usyk fight next

Since August 2023, the mandatory contender for a fight against Usyk has been Filip Hrgovic. The Croatian will meet with the British boxer Daniel Dubois on June 1st. The winner of the bout will be recognized as the world champion in the heavyweight division according to the IBF version.

Hrgovic or Dubois will contend for a fight with Usyk. In addition, two more heavyweights are in line - Manuel Charr, the regular champion according to the World Boxing Association (WBA), and Joseph Parker, the interim champion of the World Boxing Organization (WBO).

РБК-Україна