Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury on points to retain unified heavyweight titles

Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury in their much anticipated rematch to retain his unified world heavyweight titles. Usyk won 116-112 via an unanimous decision, much to the shock of Fury.

In Short

• Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury 116-112 in Riyadh
• Usyk beats Fury by unanimous decision
• Tyson Fury was shocked at the result

In a highly anticipated rematch in Riyadh, Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine successfully defended his WBA (Super), WBO, and WBC world heavyweight titles against Britain's Tyson Fury, winning by unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the fight 116-112. This victory marks Usyk's second consecutive win over Fury, following his split-decision triumph in May that made him the undisputed heavyweight champion.

The 37-year-old Usyk’s performance was a repeat of his May victory over Fury, where he became the undisputed heavyweight champion. Although 36-year-old Fury showed improvement from their first encounter, including a strong start, he could not find a way to solve Usyk's elusive style.

Despite giving up advantages in height, weight, and reach to the much larger Fury, Usyk demonstrated exceptional skill and movement throughout the bout. Fury, who weighed in at a career-high 281 pounds (127kg), 55 pounds (25kg) heavier than Usyk, started strong but was ultimately unable to overcome the Ukrainian's strategic boxing.

Fury attempted to control the centre of the ring with his jab, but Usyk effectively countered by ducking inside and unleashing combinations. Fury briefly had success in the fifth and sixth rounds, landing hard body shots, but Usyk’s sharp counters and strategic movement took over, particularly in the later rounds. By the 10th round, Fury was noticeably fatigued and struggled to keep up with Usyk’s pace. Usyk closed out the final rounds with precision and intensity to secure the win.

Usyk's superior movement and precise punching allowed him to dictate the fight, particularly in the later rounds. Despite a strong start to the tenth round by Fury, Usyk regained control, finishing the frame at a furious pace and cruising through the final two rounds to secure a convincing victory.

In his post-fight interview, Usyk remained humble, stating, "I win, it's good ... I'm not the judges, I'm a sportsman, I'm an athlete." He also praised his sons, who had participated in judo competitions earlier that day.

The victory was followed by a challenge from Britain's Daniel Dubois, who Usyk had defeated in August 2023. Meanwhile, Fury, visibly disappointed by his second professional loss, left the ring without giving an interview, prompting his promoter Frank Warren to express disbelief at the scoring. Warren argued that Fury had won more rounds than the judges' scorecards reflected, saying, "How can Tyson only get four rounds in this fight? It's impossible."