Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury to become undisputed heavyweight champion

Oleksandr Usyk scored a massive ninth-round knockdown against Tyson Fury that proved to be the deciding punch, and the Ukrainian was awarded a split-decision victory to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

Two judges scored the back-and-forth battle 115-112 and 114-113 for Usyk, and a third judge had it 114-113 for Fury.

Usyk landed 170 of 407 of his punches — the most punches ever landed by a Fury opponent. Fury countered by landing 157 of his 496 shots.

Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) is now a two-division undisputed champion, while Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) suffered the first loss of his career.

A rematch is set to take place in October.

Round 12: With everything on the line, Fury shows some life in the final round. Usyk maintains his composure and lands his lead hand. Fury answers with a big right hand that momentarily stops Usyk in his tracks. Both fighters unleash one last flurry and the final bell rings. They embrace each other, and Fury kisses the top of Usyk’s head. Somehow, Fury survived the deep waters from the ninth-round knockdown to force the fight to go to a decision. But did he win? We go to the scorecards.

Round 11: The pace of the fight slows down a bit, but Usyk is still landing the harder and more significant shots. He ends the round with a clipping left to the jaw of Fury. Fury is fading.

Round 10: Fury miraculously recovers and gets his legs back under him a bit. But Usyk controls the tempo and pace with his laser-sharp left hand to keep piling on the punches — and the points. Whoever sweeps the last two rounds should win the fight by decision.

Round 9: A huge left hand hurts Fury and Usyk continues to hammer and batter the Brit, who stumbles around the ring with unsteady feet and nearly collapses in the corner, but the ropes hold him up. Referee Mark Nelson starts a count, officially ruling it a knockdown, and Fury miraculously survives the round as he is saved by the bell.

Round 8: After eating so many body shots, Usyk answers back with a big left of his own to the beltline of Fury. Usyk follows up and lands a big left that busts the nose of Fury. Another big shot causes a welt underneath the troublesome right eye of Fury. Usyk has a terrific bounce-back round and created a massive change in momentum.

Round 7: Fury controls the round, highlighted with a right uppercut, but Usyk closes the frame with a strong 20-second finish. Fury’s conditioning has been championship-level so far, while Usyk seems to be slowing down a bit.

Round 6: Fury continues to find massive success targeting the body, and he lands several shots to the ribs of Usyk that forces the Ukrainian to wince and backpedal. But the hardest punch Fury landed was a right uppercut. Fury has the most dominant round of the fight so far. Usyk has lost the comfortable flow and range he established in the first two rounds. He needs a Plan B to start the second half of the fight. He could be down four rounds to two.

Round 5: Fury hits Usyk with a low blow, but the foul is not a debilitating one necessitating a stop in the action. Referee Mark Nelson lets the action continue, and Fury continues to target the body and lands several significant shots. Fury ends the round with a straight right to the top of the temple as well as a left jab and sweeping right while cornered in the ring. Fury is finding his groove.

Round 4: Fury targets his opponent’s body twice in the opening 30 seconds. Midway through the round, a clash of heads ensues, but there doesn’t appear to be any serious damage. Fury answers with a right uppercut immediately after the pause in action. Usyk unleashes a couple of combinations to the body, and Fury keeps clowning around. As loose as he was, Fury landed the harder shots and caused a small cut near the right eye of Usyk. Fury has outlander Usyk 53 to 48 so far.

Round 3: Usyk is very fleet on his feet. Fury appears to be stiff at times when the southpaw Usyk lunges in to unleash his left. Usyk is controlling the pace of the fight. Fury is fighting exclusively off of his back foot, but in the final 30 seconds unleashes a nice two-punch. Usyk ends the rounds complaining that he is being hit in the back of the head. It will be interesting to see if Fury leans on his size to try and bully Usyk.

Round 2: Usyk comes out and delivers another deft and darting overhand left in the opening seconds of the round. Fury reacts by pitter-pattering his face with soft punches. The crowd reacts and starts chanting for the Ukrainian. The smaller Usyk is backing up the jolly giant, but Fury answers with a sweeping right and a smile. Fury delivers two chopping shots to the body to close the round.

Round 1: Fury runs out of his corner, but Usyk meets him in the middle of the ring by landing the fight’s first punch, a left jab. The southpaw Usyk is clearly the smaller man, standing six inches shorter and nearly 40 pounds lighter. Usyk corners Fury, and the Brit puts his arms on the top ropes and starts dancing. The all-business Usyk takes a few steps back to reset. Moments later, Usyk lands a big left hand to finish the round, and Fury feels it as he winces.

Jai Opetaia survived a broken jaw and outboxed Mairis Briedis for a close unanimous decision win in 2022.

Their rematch two years later didn’t deliver similar drama, but the outcome was the same.

Just like the first fight, Opetaia once again busted the nose of Briedis and survived a late onslaught to score a unanimous decision victory.

It wasn’t a show-stopping performance, but it was an efficient one for Opetaia.

Opetaia outlanded Briedis 83 to 70 in the twelve-round fight, and judges scored the bout 117-111, 116-112, 116-112.

Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) regained the vacant IBF crown he willingly let go last year for a more lucrative fight instead of moving forward with his mandatory defense against Briedis (28-3, 20 KOs).

Briedis, a 39-year-old from Latvia, was fighting for the first time since losing to Opetaia. Meanwhile, Opetaia, a 28-year-old from Australia, continued building momentum after their first encounter against lesser opposition and scored two knockout wins in just five combined rounds in 2023.

Opetaia looked lithe and in complete control of the rematch throughout the first eight rounds, while Briedis appeared like a fighter fighting Father Time.

But some late drama unfolded in the 10th as Briedis damaged and drew blood from the nose of Opetaia.

Opetaia’s was knocked off, but he strategically held in key moments and survived the round.

As Opetaia started retreating, Briedis saw an opening and carried the momentum into the 11th and 12th rounds, trying to steal the victory, but his final-rounds flurry proved to be too little, too late and a fading Opetaia avoided a lackluster end to the fight.

Briedis fell short of his quest to become a cruiserweight crown holder for a third time.

Briedis’ other career loss came to Oleksandr Usyk in 2018 via majority decision while they both competed as cruiserweight champions.

Anthony Cacace delivered a career-defining performance, dropping and stopping Joe Cordina via technical knockout to win the IBF junior lightweight title.

The underdog Cacace (22-1, 8 KOs) painted an offensive masterpiece to stun the previously unbeaten Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs), who was looking to defend his 130-pound title for a third time.

Referee Bob Williams stepped in at the 39-second mark of the eighth round to stop the action with Cordina still on his feet absorbing a vicious beating.

After Cordina banked the first two rounds with a workmanlike approach, Cacace’s offensive onslaught kicked into second gear in the third.

Moments after landing a head-rattling left hook in the middle of a controversial break to the head of a relaxed Cordina, Cacace dropped Cordina with a crushing right uppercut in the third round.

Cordina picked himself off the canvas, but he was severely rocked, wobbled and miraculously survived a heavy onslaught to hear the bell. Cacace landed 28 power punches and 32 shots overall in the round.

Cordina got his legs back under him in the fourth and bounced back beautifully by connecting with a couple of hard counter shots to Cacace’s head. By the fifth, he had weathered the storm.

But Cacace continued to deliver shots in the sixth and was building massive momentum toward the end of the round, but the bell saved Cordina again.

Through the first six rounds, Cacace had a 98 to 45 advantage in power punches landed.

Cordina was in serious trouble once again in the eighth, and the referee saved the Brit to see another fight.

Cacace landed 151 of 428 shots overall, while Cordina countered with 74 of 242.

Cacace, a 35-year-old Irishman from Belfast, was fighting in his first major world title bout.

Agit Kabayel softened Frank Sanchez the entire fight and delivered a pair of stabbing body shots and knockdowns that scored him a sensational seventh-round stoppage victory in a WBC heavyweight title eliminator.

The favored Sanchez, trained by Canelo Álvarez’s coach Eddy Reynoso, walked into the ring with a right knee brace and favored his leg throughout the matchup.

The highly aggressive Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) took notice and brought the fight the Sanchez (24-1, 17 KOs) with precise pressure and crisp bodywork.

Kabayel chopped away at Sanchez throughout the first half of the fight and brought out the big ax in the seventh with two knockdowns. The fight was called off at the 2:33 mark when referee Victor Loughlin reached the 10-count as Sanchez struggled to stand.

Kabayel outlanded Sanchez 110 to 47 — a whopping 51 punches were to the body.

Heavyweight boxers Tyson Fury, left, and Oleksandr Usyk stand on the stage during a weigh-in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday.

(Francisco Seco / Associated Press)

The Los Angeles Times asked the following experts to predict the winner of Tyson Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk heavyweight title bout.

It’s finally here and like so many I have probably swayed one way and then the other over the last several months. Was the Francis Ngannou fight a show of decline for Fury? Has the postponement of the original date given him more time to get himself together? Will he be able to use his size and strength against such a skilled operator, or will Fury try to make it a battle of skills? The fights that generate the most questions, the most amount of jeopardy and the most uncertainty around who might win are the best matches — though they don’t necessarily make the best fights. For the longest time, I felt Fury was No. 1 in the world, but as time has gone on, I feel like it is now Usyk and it is his time. I can see him cutting Fury with his shots from angles, being too busy and too active and winning a decision on points. The question then, is what will the scorecards tell us?

— Tris Dixon, editor in chief, Boxing Scene

If the taller, heavier Fury can cut the distance and impose his physicality on Usyk, he’ll narrowly win a decision in what figures to be a very competitive fight between these two technicians. Fury must neutralize Usyk’s jab and limit his movement, or the smart southpaw will beat him on points. Fury by split decision.

— Keith Idec, reporter, Boxing News (UK)

Fury is in shape and mentally dialed in for this showdown, so I expect a competitive fight, but I believe Usyk’s greater activity, mobility and punch creativity will command the majority of rounds. Fury’s size could make for an ugly, rough contest but his slimmed-down frame tells me he’s going to try to match Usyk’s speed, nimbleness, and skill. Who knows? Maybe Fury is smart and talented enough to outbox the master boxer, but my hunch is that he’s not used to matching wits with a heavyweight as smart or smarter than he is. Bottom line: Usyk will make the necessary adjustments to win the rounds as the fight unfolds. Usyk by close unanimous decision.

— Doug Fischer, editor-in-chief, Ring Magazine

Tyson Fury celebrates after knocking down Deontay Wilder during their WBC heavyweight title fight on Feb. 22, 2020, in Las Vegas.

(Al Bello / Getty Images)

This is a fascinating matchup. Fury is an extraordinary challenge for any smaller opponent because of his size and ring savvy, while Usyk’s relentless pace and work rate should be a nightmare for Fury, particularly if he’s not in shape. The referee could also play a major role if Fury decides to turn it into a dirty brawl. It’s a toss-up, but Fury’s performance against Ngannou makes me question whether he’s mentally and physically prepared to handle the rock-solid Usyk, who will not get outworked. Usyk by late-round knockout.

— Greg Beacham, sports writer, Associated Press

A slick and steeled southpaw, Usyk is armed with the poise and pedigree to subdue Fury, who hasn’t yet faced his caliber of boxer. If only he was a little bit bigger. The challenge and stakes of their undisputed showdown should bring out the best in “The Gypsy King.” His length and size prove the difference in a battle of supremely skilled technicians. Fury by decision.

— Sam Gordon, sports reporter, San Francisco Chronicle

Fury and Usyk are so skilled that they might just nullify each other. It could start cagily, and if a physical chess match continues, we may get a controversial draw. If pressed for an absolute victor, on what I’ve seen this week, I’d sway to Fury, on points, or even late stoppage.

— Gareth A. Davies, boxing correspondent, The London Telegraph

A lot of people aren’t able to split Fury and Usyk due to their respective skill sets. However, Fury hasn’t had to display a top-level attitude, game plan, and execution since the second Deontay Wilder fight in 2020. Those four long years without being worried about what is in front of him could come back to haunt Fury during the contest. Usyk is as slick as they come and dominated Anthony Joshua on two occasions with ease. It’s conceivable he could do the same with Fury, depending on how the fight evolves. In the end, Usyk should have enough to card a decision of some form but don’t be surprised if there’s controversy and Fury finds himself on the end of a lucky draw.

— Phil Jay, editor, World Boxing News

Britain’s Anthony Joshua takes a blow from Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk during their world heavyweight title fight on Aug. 21, 2022.

(Hassan Ammar / Associated Press)

The Fury who beat Steve Cunninghan in 2013 and Ngannou in 2023 will lose to Usyk. The Fury who beat Wilder in 2020 and again in 2021 will beat Usyk. I think we’re going to see the latter. When he is physically and mentally ready, Fury is the best heavyweight in the world. He seems to be physically and mentally ready. Fury by decision.

— Randy Gordon, host, SiriusXM Fight Nation’s “At the Fights”

Fury’s height and reach are undoubtedly going to be a factor in the fight. Usyk will have to find a way to slip the jab and get into a middle distance where he can do his work. He may take some punishment on the way in, but he showed in 24 rounds with the hard-hitting Joshua that he has the ability to take a big shot. Both men are great boxers and have very good ring IQ. Usyk is more versatile and will need every bit of it to pull out the decision in a tense and exciting bout. Usyk by decision.

— Kevin Iole, founder, KevinIole.com

I was going to question whether Fury would be in top shape after a sluggish performance against Ngannou. But that’s no longer a concern because he appeared slim throughout fight week. That likely means Fury plans to outbox Usyk, one of the best technicians in the sport. It’s not a bad strategy because Fury can lean on his size advantage, but Usyk has already proven that he can take punches from massive heavyweights. Fury is a great boxer, but Usyk is better. Expect Usyk to deliver a sensational performance for a majority decision win.

— Gilberto Manzano, staff writer, Sports Illustrated & co-founder of Compas on the Beat

I’m convinced that Fury’s poor performance against Ngannou was the result of a lack of preparation, not his decline. Fury seems to be ready for Usyk, both physically and mentally. And while the gifted Usyk probably is a somewhat better technician, Fury is a capable, athletic boxer who also has a monumental size advantage. This will be a case of a good smaller man beating a good bigger man. Usyk by unanimous decision.

— Michael Rosenthal, editor, Boxing Junkie (USA Today Sports)

Joshua had trouble finding Usyk for 24 rounds. Usyk needs to deliver a similar performance against Fury and his experience will pay dividends. Usyk knows he can’t overpower Fury, and he would be smart to avoid a firefight. Usyk will take a tactical approach and outmaneuver Fury with footwork, speed, and ring generalship. It may not be an aesthetically pleasing fight or an exciting one, but when Usyk is holding all the belts draped in the Ukrainian flag, he won’t care, and he will make boxing history. Usyk by decision.

— Gayle Falkenthal, West Coast bureau chief, NYFights.com

Split decisions are controversial by definition, and this one figures to be. Already, there are reported plans for a rematch later this year, perhaps in October. Controversy would set the stage for that planned sequel. Saturday is already a pick ‘em fight. Fury has the best shot at a stoppage, mostly because of his Goliath-like advantages in height and reach. But his slimmed-down upper body suggests he’s planning to go the distance against the clever, tireless Usyk, whose tactical know-how is seemingly unlimited. From fight-to-fight, round-to-round, Usyk finds a way. He will again, although he faces a huge risk in trying to get inside Fury’s long jab. Also, expect Usyk to target the scar tissue near Fury’s problematic right eye early and often. Fury looks to be in good condition. But there are still questions about the condition of that eye. A bloody answer could be a decisive factor in Usyk’s favor in an otherwise close fight. Usyk by split decision.

— Norm Frauenheim, writer, 15Rounds.com

Fury is the best in the heavyweight division. However, he had an underwhelming performance against Ngannou last year. I do not think Fury took that fight seriously, so I like to exclude that fight when I talk about the Englishman. This fight will be a chess match, and I don’t expect a knockout. Fury can easily dominate Usyk physically, but the Ukrainian is also an elite fighter and has shown he has the talent to pull another upset. He can win if he moves a lot, targets the body, throws combinations, and avoids Fury’s jab. I think Usyk has enough stamina to do that for 12 rounds. Usyk wins by a close and controversial decision, which sets up a second fight.

— Eduard Cauich, sports reporter, LA Times en Español

It’s all in the mind. If Fury wants to end his fight against Usyk, he needs to take it seriously. In his last fight against the boxing debutant Ngannou, Fury was too relaxed and comfortable, even having fun. He complicated a fight that he probably felt it was too easy, allowing Ngannou to gain some momentum and believe he could win the fight. If Fury comes out with the same attitude, Usyk will not give him the space and will make him pay. This time around, with his mind in the right place, I expect a focused, ready to win-it-all Fury to drop Usyk in the later rounds.

— Jad El Reda, sports reporter, LA Times en Español

Tyson Fury

Heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury poses as he stands on the scales during a weigh-in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday.

(Francisco Seco / Associated Press)

“I am going to make this short and simple. I want to thank God for the victory that I have received already and I want to thank everybody involved for putting this massive event on. I want to thank Usyk for turning up and challenging me and that is about it. Thank you to all the fans who have traveled over to support me. I know it is tough at the moment and money is hard, so I aim to put on a show. I’m ready, I’ve got nothing to say apart from I am ready for a good fight. Tough or easy, either way I will be ready.”

“If I was fighting an old dosser on Saturday night who had five fights and lost them all, it would be very important to me. Every fight I’ve ever had is important to me. Every little fight along the way was important to me. I believe that every left and right turn I’ve ever taken in my life, every time I’ve fallen over, and every time I’ve climbed up was all leading to this moment. It’s destiny.”

“I predict that somebody’s ‘0’ has got to go. And it’s going to be that team over there, unfortunately for them. Oleksandr Usyk is a great fighter. Olympic gold medalist, cruiserweight world champion, heavyweight world champion. But, unfortunately for him, he has to come against the great Tyson Fury in the era of me. I’m really looking forward to Saturday night.”

“Even if he had 20 million people screaming his name, they cannot fight for him on the night. And when there’s two men in there on the night, it’s going to be very daunting when he has the undertaker in the ring with him.”

“This is absolutely fantastic. All these great people have come out to support the boxing event in Saudi Arabia. We’re looking forward to putting on a fantastic show for the world to watch.”

“I always have a crazy little ring walk. And you wouldn’t expect anything different for the biggest fight in your life, would you? I don’t think it’s ever been done before, so it’s definitely going to be a surprise.”

Oleksandr Usyk

Heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk poses during a weigh-in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday.

(Francisco Seco / Associated Press)

“I feel good. I’m very happy to be here. Saturday is a special day because I will have the opportunity to become undisputed for a second time. It’s great. It’s very good for me. It’s very important for my country. I like that.”

“I want to tell a story that looks very similar to our story with Tyson, about David and Goliath. When the Lord gives me Tyson in my hands, I will do my job.”

“I feel good. Each event brings with it a new experience. It’s always a wonderful, great, and new experience for the team.”

“I have a plan. It’s a better plan. And it’s a great plan.”

“I really appreciate the support from my fans and Ukrainian soldiers. I love my fans.”

“I don’t have a final message for him. I will save it for Saturday.”

Tyson Fury has been the WBC heavyweight champion since beating Deontay Wilder in February 2020.

Before that fight, a four-person crew from The Times visited Fury in Las Vegas to get an in-depth look at The Gypsy King.

Revisit the time the enigmatic Fury held court in a hot tub during a tell-all interview.

×

Tyson Fury keeps his demons at bay while readying for a rematch with fellow unbeaten heavyweight Deontay Wilder, who battled him to a draw in their first bout.

×

While you wait for the main event between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, watch their contentious Friday weigh-in ceremony, their recent media workouts and a DAZN-produced documentary previewing the bout.

×

×

×

×

Tyson Fury holds up his WBC World Heavyweight belt after beating Francis Ngannou on Oct. 28, 2023, in Saudi Arabia.

(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Tyson Fury is listed as a -120 betting favorite and Oleksandr Usyk is listed as a +100 betting underdog.

The over/under on the total number of rounds the fight is set to last is listed at 10.5 rounds.

DraftKings’ full breakdown of betting odds and methods of victory can be seen here.

The co-main event features a cruiserweight contest for the vacant IBF crown, as Jai Opetaia (24-0, 19 KOs) battles Mairis Briedis (28-2, 20 KOs) in a rematch. Opetaia scored a unanimous decision win against Briedis in 2022.

Six other fights will be featured on the pay-per-view portion of the card, which began at 9 a.m. PDT.

• IBF junior lightweight champion Joe Cordina (17-0, 9 KOs) vs. Anthony Cacace (21-1, 7 KOs)
• Frank Sanchez (24-0, 17 KOs) vs. Agit Kabayel (24-0, 16 KOs), WBC heavyweight title eliminator
• Moses Itauma (8-0, 6 KOs) vs. Ilja Mezencev (25-3, 21 KOs), heavyweight, 10 rounds
• Mark Chamberlain (15-0, 11 KOs) vs. Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab (23-1, 16 KOs), lightweight
• Sergey Kovalev (35-4-1, 29 KOs) vs. Robin Sirwan Safar (16-0, 12 KOs), cruiserweight, 10 rounds
• Daniel Lapin (9-0, 3 KOs) vs. Octavio Pudivitr (9-1, 4 KOs), light heavyweight, 10 rounds

The day of fights kicked off on the DAZN YouTube channel at 7 a.m. PDT with a pair of bouts.

Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury lands a punch during his WBC heavyweight championship boxing match against Derek Chisora in London in December 2022.

(Ian Walton / Associated Press)

Age: 35

Hometown: Morecambe, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Record: 34-0-1, 24 KOs

Nickname: The Gypsy King

Total rounds fought: 230 rounds

Knockout ratio: 70.5%

Height: 6 feet 9

Reach: 85 inches

Weight: 262 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Trainer: SugarHill Steward

Turned Professional: 2008

Notable wins: Deontay Wilder (twice, one draw), Wladimir Klitschko, Dillian Whyte, Francis Ngannou, Otto Wallin, Derek Chisora (three times)

Oleksandr Usyk

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk punches Britain’s Anthony Joshua during their 2022 world heavyweight title fight at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

(Hassan Ammar / Associated Press)

Age: 37

Hometown: Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine

Record: 21-0, 14 KOs

Total rounds fought: 177

Knockout ratio: 66.6%

Height: 6 feet 3

Reach: 78 inches

Weight: 233 ½ pounds

Stance: Southpaw

Trainer: Sergey Lapin

Turned Professional: 2013

Notable wins: Anthony Joshua (twice), Daniel Dubois, Derek Chisora, Tony Bellew, Murat Gassiev, Mairis Briedis, Marco Huck, Michael Hunter, Krzysztof Glowacki

I sat down with WBO, WBA, IBF, IBO and Ring Magazine champion Oleksandr Usyk ahead of his undisputed heavyweight title fight against Tyson Fury.

Here’s what the 2012 Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist and former undisputed cruiserweight king had to say.

×

Heavyweight boxers Tyson Fury, left, and Oleksandr Usyk are separated after clashing during their weigh-in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday.

(Francisco Seco / Associated Press)

The complete fight card between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk can be purchased digitally on DAZN (subscription required) or PPV.com (no subscription needed) for $69.99.

ESPN+ is also carrying the card, but only the main event and co-main event, and a subscription is required to purchase the event.

The PPV portion of the fight card begins at 9 a.m. PDT and ring walks for the main event should begin around 2:30 p.m. PDT.

On Tap Sports has a directory of the bars and restaurants carrying the card around the United States.