Oleksandr Usyk Becomes Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Against Tyson Fury

Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) is the latest to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world with a split decision victory against Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs).

While one judge had it 114-113 for Fury, the other two saw it 115-112 and 114-113 for Usyk. With the win, the Ukrainian becomes the first undisputed champion in the division since Lennox Lewis. Usyk also accomplished the same when he fought Murat Gassiev at cruiserweight.

The two met in the main event of “Ring of Fire”, an event that saw Fury and Usyk fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship. Boxing fans could catch the action live as a PPV on DAZN and ESPN+ in the United States. Those in the United Kingdom could do so with TNT Sports, Sky Sports and DAZN.

“Ring of Fire” takes place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is part of Riyadh Season, a state-funded entertainment and sports festival. The Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority is responsible for its organization.

Check out our recap of earlier undercard bouts, including one that saw Jai Opetaia emerge victorious once more against Mairis Briedis.

Oleksandr Usyk Defeats Tyson Fury by Split Decision

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk Recap

Both fighters were cautious in the opening round. Usyk, constantly moving, was soon able to land jabs and straight lefts to the body. Towards the end of the first, Fury began showboating to bait the Ukrainian. Round two saw more of this, with Usyk beginning to have success with a looping left. On the other hand, Fury had some success with shots to the body.

“The Gypsy King” began letting his hands go as the bout went to the middle rounds. While Usyk was consistently landing to the body, a cut was visible over his right eye by the end of round four. After appearing to lose the first couple of rounds, the Brit began to take control of the fight.

Read More: Agit Kabayel Dominates Unbeaten Frank Sanchez on Fury-Usyk Undercard

Fury had a dominant round six, landing a mix of uppercuts and body shots. Usyk appeared stunned by an uppercut, causing him to move along the ropes for the rest of the round. Fury’s lead over the Ukrainian seemed to widen due to the increased work in the middle rounds.

Swelling started to appear towards the end of round eight under the right eye of Fury. He also had to deal with a bloody nose. It was at this point, however, that Fury’s period of dominance was about to end.

Read More: Five Most Memorable Oleksandr Usyk Wins

Towards the end of round nine, Usyk wobbled Fury with a left that had the Englishman flailing around the ring. The ropes appeared to keep him up, so referee Mark Nelson ruled it a knockdown.

Usyk had more dominant periods in the remaining rounds of the fight. Compared to Fury, he was landing the more impactful punches. Usyk was simply more active than his opponent after the knockdown. Round 12, however, could have been edged towards Fury who showed a bit more compared to the past couple rounds. Two judges saw Usyk doing enough work over 12 rounds – making him the new undisputed king.

Post-Fight Interviews

Usyk

A very emotional Oleksandr Usyk immediately after becoming undisputed heavyweight champion of the world! 🙌#FuryUsyk | #RingOfFire | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh | @usykaa pic.twitter.com/JwD8umVGPD

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 18, 2024

Fury

“I believe I won this fight” – @tyson_fury #FuryUsyk | #RingOfFire | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/o8fPfn1VyP

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 19, 2024