LesNews brings you live, round-by-round updates for the highly anticipated boxing fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this Saturday afternoon.
The main event is scheduled to begin around 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast on DAZN. Check out our results page for the details of the underlying fight.
Oleksandr Usyk (22-0), gold medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games, made his professional debut in 2013. Since then, he has established himself as the first (and so far only) undisputed light heavyweight champion of the era of the four belts. Most recently, Usyk won a fight against Tyson Fury by split decision last May to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, which he then vacated in June.
Tyson Fury (34-1-1) is one of the most successful heavyweight champions in recent years. He suffered his first professional loss to Usyk in their last encounter, with the judges rating this close fight 115-112, 114-113, 113-114 in Usyk's favor.
The rematch between Usyk and Fury is now underway.
Follow our live blog of the Usyk vs Fury 2 fight below:
The boxers prepare to enter the ring.
Fury introduces himself to the sound of All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey. A brilliant choice, before moving on to Hypnotize by Notorious BIG We're getting into the fight mood.
Usyk, for his part, makes his entrance on a Ukrainian pop song, Brothers by Vazyl Zadhan. Less pomp for this entry.
Roberto Ramirez will be the referee for this main event.
The boxers are ready, the national anthems have been sung, and Michael Buffer says, “Ready to fight!” It's time!
Round 1 : Both boxers move well. Fury starts with a jab. Usyk responds with a left to the body. Fury corners Usyk with right hooks. Usyk intensifies the exchanges. The round is close.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Fury.
Round 2 : Usyk leaves with a fiery shot. Fury struggles to find his opportunities to jab. Usyk focuses on his body shots. Fury tries to respond.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Fury. Total: 20-18 Fury.
Round 3 : Usyk remains consistent with his jabs. Fury sometimes fights back, but Usyk remains on guard. Fury's punches land on the body.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Fury. Total: 30-27 Fury.
Round 4 : Usyk shows more aggression. Several hook exchanges. The round is contested.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Usyk. Total: 39-37 Fury.
Round 5 : Usyk engages more in exchanges, even complaining about a low blow. The rounds are getting more complicated.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Fury. Total: 49-46 Fury.
Round 6 : Start of a duel of jabs. Usyk appears more dynamic. A good round where Usyk scores valuable points.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Usyk. Total: 58-56 Fury.
Round 7 : Usyk manages to place his shots. A round where Fury tries to regain control.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Fury. Total: 68-65 Fury.
Round 8 : Fury hangs on to his jab. Usyk increases the pressure and lands effective shots.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Usyk. Total: 77-75 Fury.
Round 9 : Usyk focuses on the upper body. The blows exchanged are numerous and intense.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Usyk. Total: 86-85 Fury.
Round 10 : Usyk scores points from the start but Fury responds well. The tension is high at this stage of the fight.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Usyk. Overall: 95-95.
Round 11 : A round where Usyk takes the upper hand, despite a few errors from Fury.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Usyk. Total: 105-104 Usyk.
Round 12 : The final round is full of energy. Usyk gives everything to win the fight.
LesNews rates this round 10-9 in favor of Usyk. Total: 115-113 Usyk.
Official result: Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury by unanimous decision (116-112 x3)
Usyk, referring to the scores, simply said: “I win. It's good.” He thanked his wife and children for their support, also noting that his sons won a judo competition the same day.
Daniel Dubois enters the ring and demands a rematch after “the robbery last time.”
Usyk, meanwhile, says he's ready to do more and is eyeing a clash with Dubois.
It's fascinating to watch how the world of boxing continues to evolve, with champions like Usyk pushing the boundaries while providing memorable moments for aficionados of the sport. This fight raises questions about the future of these two athletes: what will be their respective next steps after such a close and contested match?
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