Oleksandr Usyk Beat Tyson Fury By Split Decision After Rocking Fury In The 9th Round

Oleksandr Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, as he took a split decision victory over Tyson Fury to claim the WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF, and IBO titles and leave little doubt about his credentials as an elite heavyweight.

Most had the two tied on the cards through six rounds, but it seemed Fury had started to stake claim to the fight from there, as he caught Usyk with some big shots and was starting to control the tempo and lean on the smaller Usyk. However, things changed in a big way late in the ninth round when Usyk absolutely teed off on Fury and had him wobbling all over the ring and bouncing off ropes until the referee stepped in to give Fury the standing 8 count.

Fury was absolutely battered in the ninth, and while he never touched the canvas, that knockdown by referee stoppage was huge in a very close fight. Fury would recover and finish the fight, but that ninth round allowed Usyk to take control and continue his run through the heavyweight division.

The cards were extremely tight, with Fury winning 114-113 on one and Usyk winning 115-112 and 114-113, meaning his 10-8 ninth was the difference in getting a win rather than a split draw.

Fury, unsurprisingly, stated afterwards that he felt he won the fight, and a rematch seems all but guaranteed. You’ll be hard-pressed to find fans that won’t want another bout between the two, as they delivered on the promise of an undisputed heavyweight champioship fight, and how they adjust for a second matchup would be fascinating.