Usyk outpoints Fury again to retain unified heavyweight title
All three judges score the fast-paced rematch 116-112
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Over the past several years the question of who would ultimately be known as the best heavyweight of the era centered on a pair of Brits in Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua and American knockout artist Deontay Wilder, each of whom engaged in high-profile fights and won major world titles, and in Fury’s case the lineal championship as well.
As it turns out, it will be none of those three to carry that mantle into history. Instead it is Oleksandr Usyk, who outpointed Fury for the second straight time to retain the lineal, WBC, WBO and WBA titles in a fast-paced, tension-filled fight that headlined a Riyadh Season card on Saturday at Kingdom Arena — the same venue where they waged their first unforgettable battle — in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
All three judges had Usyk winning 116-112, with judges Gerardo Martinez and Patrick Morley giving him the final seven rounds and late-replacement judge Ignacio Robles, in for the ill Fernando Barbosa, giving him six of the last seven. Fight Freaks Unite had it 115-113 for Usyk, who spent most of his career competing as a cruiserweight, where he became the undisputed champion and then moved up to heavyweight in 2019.
Now, seven fights into his heavyweight career, Usyk has proven he is the guy. He is not only the king of the era but also viewed by many as the pound-for-pound king.
Usyk’s past five fights tell the historic tale: He twice defeated Joshua by clear decision, including winning three of the major titles from him in their first bout in 2021; knocked out Daniel Dubois in one-sided fashion in 2023, before Dubois would be gifted the IBF belt Usyk was forced to vacate over politics; and now has secured back-to-back victories this year against Fury, the first to become the first four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion and hand him his first defeat followed by a successful fourth title defense on Saturday.
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