Seven months after their first clash, Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury again on Sunday in Riyadh, winning on points by unanimous decision. Still undefeated in 23 fights, the Ukrainian remains the boss of the heavyweights and consolidates his place among the big guys.
More precise and aggressive, Usyk imposed his rhythm, hitting Fury several times with his left hook. The 37-year-old Ukrainian was awarded the 116-112 victory by the three judges, and thus maintains his invincibility (23 victories in as many fights) as well as his WBA, WBO, WBC belts. “He’s a great fighter, it’s a great performance”Usyk said of Fury, who was undefeated in 35 fights until losing in their four-belt unification bout last May. “24 incredible rounds for my career”added the Ukrainian.
“I feel a little wronged”
The two best heavyweights on the planet met again on Saturday evening in the ring of the Kingdom Arena in the Saudi capital, for a match which lasted late into the night, seven months after their first leg. Fury maintained that he won the fight despite the unanimous decision in favor of Usyk. “Look, it's like that. I'm not going to cry over my fate, it's done now […] But I feel a little wronged, a lot in fact.”he declared after the confrontation.
Usyk a “received a little Christmas present” from the judges, said the Briton, refusing to say whether or not he would face his Ukrainian opponent again: “Maybe we will, maybe we won't. Who knows?”
Santa Claus and Cossack outfit
During the first round contested on May 18, already in Riyadh, Usyk won by split decision at the end of a fight which had kept all its promises, becoming on this occasion unified champion of the premier category, a feat which had not been achieved since Lennox Lewis in 1999. This time around, only three belts were up for grabs, with Usyk having since vacated his IBF title. For this second salvo, Fury, dressed in a red and white Santa suit and sporting a bushy beard, made his entrance to the festive hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, before a Usyk looking determined does not appear in Cossack outfit.
The 2.06 Briton kept Usyk at bay at the start of the fight but the latter picked up the pace in the third round. The two men remained neck-and-neck in a grueling fifth round, with Fury landing blows to the body while Usyk threw a flurry of blows to the head. The Ukrainian, renowned for his professionalism and exemplary physical condition, was more aggressive thereafter, while the “Gypsy King” began to retreat.
Dazzling combination
The Briton regained the initiative in the ninth round, wielding his jab and one-two combinations, but Usyk then shook his opponent, notably with this dazzling combination which ended with another left hook to the face in the 11th round.
Fury, who had an advantage of 25 kilos over his opponent, thus suffered the second defeat of his career (34-2-1). When the judges' score was announced, the Mancunian seemed first surprised then furious, leaving the ring before the end of Usyk's speech.
A symbol of his country
With this new victory, the big mustachioed man from Simferopol can pride himself on an impeccable career, which he has built by playing to his strengths: his arm and leg speed, his technique and his atypical left-handed boxing which gives him earned the nickname “cat”. Olympic champion at the London Olympics in 2012, crowned undisputed king of the light heavyweights in 2018, he then tried his luck at the heavyweights, where he now asserts himself as the boss. In the premier category, his record includes two victories against Anthony Joshua, a success against Daniel Dubois, who has since become IBF champion, and therefore two victories over Tyson Fury.
Having become a symbol of his country since the Russian invasion, Usyk received congratulations from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “By retaining the championship belts, Oleksandr proves that we are Ukrainians and that we will never give up what belongs to us”greeted the head of state on Telegram. “No matter the difficulties, we will win. Whether in the ring, on the battlefield or in the diplomatic arena.”
