After twelve rounds of action a new undisputed heavyweight champion has been crowned as Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Usyk becomes the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999 and the first in the four-belt era. He unified the WBC heavyweight title with his WBO, WBA and IBF titles while also defending the Ring Magazine title and securing his status as lineal champion.
Usyk started the fight strong but by round three Fury began to get into a rhythm and started banking rounds. Midway through the fight Fury seemed to have established a lead as Usyk couldn’t turn his constant pressure into meaningful connects.
Fury fought on the back foot for the majority of the fight but countered well, picking his spots while keeping Usyk’s pressure at bay.
In round 9 Usyk turned the fight on its head, rocking Fury with a big shot and then pouncing on him with a barrage of shots that looked to have Fury out on his feet. At any moment it seemed the referee could jump in to stop the beating, but he let the fight go on until ruling a knockdown in the waning seconds, as the ropes prevented Fury from going down.
Fury survived round 9 and regained his legs but Usyk continued the pressure, taking the majority of the rounds following the knockdown. Going to the cards it was anyone’s fight and in the end Usyk just edged it on two judges’ scorecards to claim supremacy over the heavyweight division.
There was a bi-lateral rematch clause in their contract which Fury said after the fight he plans to exercise. He mentioned October as a date for the rematch as he’ll be looking to get revenge for the first loss of his career.
“Make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion and I’ll be back,” Fury said in the ring after the loss. “I’ve got a rematch clause … and we’ll run it back in October.”
Usyk has now been undisputed in two weight classes, having previously been undisputed champion at cruiserweight.
Check out live updates from throughout the Fury vs Usyk fight below.
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, the first since 1999. The scorecards were 115-112 in favor of Usyk, 114-113 in favor of Fury and finally, 114-113 for Usyk.
It’s only right we get 12-rounds of action in the biggest heavyweight showdown of the century. Usyk isn’t comfortable with what he’s done, continuing the hellacious pressure on Fury, but Fury responds with some nice counter shots in the first minute. Midway through and Usyk’s pressure has led to the better connects. Fury closes out with a couple nice right hands but it may not be enough to take the round. It’s truly anyone’s fight going to the cards. We have Usyk just edging it.
The championship rounds are underway and Usyk’s resurgence leaves this quite close on the cards. You get the feeling whoever takes these rounds could very well take the fight. Usyk opens the first half of the round landing the better blows, continuing to pressure Fury. Fury now looking less comfortable on the back foot than he did midway through. Despite that, his legs are certainly back now as he lands some good shots on the counter. Close round.
Usyk is looking for the kill after Fury barely survived the last round. Fury being very cautious, staying out of harm’s way with his legs but it isn’t enough to hold Usyk off. It’s been virtually one way traffic as Fury looks like he’s trying to re-steady himself and avoid further damage. Fury finishes out the final minute a lot better, looks to have regained his legs as he responds with some shots of his own. Usyk takes the round off his pressure and some good landed shots.
Fury looks slightly more timid to start the round after taking some big shots last round. Fury lands some nice shots on the inside, following his corner’s instructions to focus on the uppercut. Usyk responds with a clubbing shot of his own midway through the round. Fury continues to paw at his nose which is clearly troubling him after last round. Usyk rocks Fury in the final 30 seconds of the round. He continues the onslaught and looks like he’s going to knock Fury down. The referee calls a knockdown as the ropes hold Fury up and he’s saved by the bell and survives.
Fury opens the round with some good shots to set the tone. Usyk hasn’t been able to break through the jab of Fury to land many significant shots thus far. Midway through the round each fighter lands strong shots against each other and Usyk goes on to land a few more big left hands to close out the round strong.
Fury continues to go to the body of Usyk where he’s been successful all night. To Usyk’s credit he’s taken some strong shots and continues to press Fury. Usyk isn’t as hard to hit as he usually is, standing in front of Fury searching for openings. Usyk closes the round with some solid shots but Fury moves out of trouble quickly. Close round, Usyk may just take it but could easily go Fury’s way as well.
Usyk continues to walk down Fury but isn’t able to land any punches that have worried Fury. Fury’s countering well, catching Usyk with shots up top and to the body. Fury wobbles Usyk halfway through the round and continues to pressure him, landing a handful of solid shots in the aftermath. Usyk takes the punches well and responds with some shots of his own but clearly took some power there. Fury opening up a slight lead.
Through four rounds Fury is outlanding Usyk 53-48, while throwing just over 50 more punches. Midway through the round Fury becomes the aggressor for the first time, pushing Usyk back. Usyk complains about a low blow but the referee lets action continue. Fury’s landed some nice body shots, clearly keying in on a vulnerability shown by Usyk in his last fight. Fury takes that one with the stronger shots landed.
Fury looks increasingly fine to let Usyk step to him and fight off his back foot. Midway through the round he cracks Usyk with a nice shot under pressure. In classic Fury style he continues to celebrate in the ring mid-round. Usyk lands steadily throughout the round but nothing that troubles Fury, who landed the stronger shots in the round. Fury likely takes that one.
Fury is beginning to open up more shots with his jab. Usyk is still applying the majority of pressure but Fury looks comfortable, as chants of Usyk rain down from stands. Usyk is finding some opening to the body of Fury but Fury landed a few solid shots down the stretch, set up by his jab. Better round for Fury.
Usyk comes out strong landing a big shot on Fury in the opening seconds of the round. Fury continues to use his jab to try and keep Usyk at bay but it hasn’t done much to quell the pressure. Usyk has found some success with Fury backed against the ropes, but Fury’s landed some shots on the back foot. Tight round to call, Usyk probably edges it.
As expected it was somewhat of a feeling out round for the two champions. Usyk held the middle of the ring to start the round, steadily pushing Fury back but landing nothing significant. Fury is using his reach to keep Usyk at bay. With under a minute Usyk had Fury backed into the ropes where Fury started dancing with a smile aimed at the crowd, he clearly is feeling loose even with the fight started. Usyk lands some solid shots to close the round out, likely edging it.
- Jai Opetaia defeats Maris Briedis by unanimous decision
- Anthony Cacace defeats Joe Cordina by TKO in round 8
- Agit Kabayel defeats Frank Sanchez by KO in round 7
- Moses Itauma defeats Ilja Mezencev by TKO in round 2
- Mark Chamberlain defeats Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab by TKO in round 1
- Robin Sirwan Safar defeats Sergey Kovalev by unanimous decision
- David Nyika defeats Michael Seitz by TKO in round 4
Fury vs Usyk TV channel, streaming, how to watch
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight on ESPN+ pay-per-view and DAZN pay-per-view in the United States.
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Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk start time, walk in
The Fury vs. Usyk fight card will start at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, May 18. The main event ring walks are expected at about 5 p.m. CT.
- Pay-per-view start: 11 a.m. CT
- Fury vs. Usyk start: Approx. 5 p.m. CT
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk pay-per-view price
The Fury vs. Usyk pay-per-view will cost $69.99 through both ESPN+ PPV and DAZN PPV.
Where is the Fury vs Usyk fight location?
The Fury vs. Usyk undisputed heavyweight title fight will take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Kingdom Arena is a 26,000-seat soccer stadium with a retractable roof. This will be Fury’s second fight in Riyadh; it will be Usyk’s first, although his second in Saudi Arabia.
- Location: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Tyson Fury vs Usyk Oleksandr fight pick, prediction
This is about as 50-50 of a matchup as they come, which is exactly what you’d hope for in a fight of this magnitude. It’s one of those special fights that pits two world-class fighters against each other with divisional supremacy on the line. It’s so special that during fight week, Pope Francis blessed the WBC title belt that’ll be given to the winner.
Like most in the boxing world, I’ve gone back and forth countless times on who’ll prevail Saturday.
It’s easy to see Usyk dancing around the ring and Fury unable to draw him into a scrap, leading Usyk to steadily work his way to a decision on the cards. It’s also feasible that Fury will be able to impose his size and turn the fight into a messy affair, as he often has, smothering Usyk and clinching his way to a close decision on the cards.
I see Usyk taking some early rounds as Fury attempts to get a grasp on his movement, but as the fight goes on, Fury will start to connect on more shots and find his range. If Fury isn’t able to catch Usyk as he moves around the ring, then I see him trying to make the fight scrappy by throwing his weight on to Usyk and keeping him close.
Either way I think Fury does just enough to edge out a close fight on the cards and retain his lineal status, although just about any result is feasible in this one.
Prediction: Fury by split decision
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk complete undercard
The Fury-Usyk undercard is loaded with top fighters and title fights. The co-main event will see Jai Opetaia, lineal cruiserweight champion, rematch Maris Briedis for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title. Joe Cordina will also defend his IBF junior lightweight title against Anthony Cacace. The full pay-per-view card is listed below.
- Main event: Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship
- Co-main: Jai Opetaia vs. Maris Briedis for the lineal, Ring Magazine and IBF cruiserweight titles
- Joe Cordina vs. Anthony Cacace for the IBF junior lightweight title
- Frank Sanchez vs. Agit Kabayel in a WBC heavyweight title eliminator
- Sergey Kovalev vs. Robin Sirwan Safar
- Moses Itauma vs. Ilja Mezencev
- Mark Chamberlain vs. Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab
- Daniel Lapin vs. Octavio Pudivitr
Fury vs Usyk fight judges
The judges for the Fury vs. Usyk fight are Manuel Oliver Palermo from Spain, Craig Metcalfe of Canada and Wisconsin’s Mike Fitzgerald.
The referee will be Minnesota’s Mark Nelson, who is widely considered to be one of the best referees in boxing.
What is Tyson Fury’s fight record? Who has knocked Fury down?
Tyson Fury has a 34-0-1 record with 24 wins coming by way of knockout.
Fury is the former unified and current lineal heavyweight champion. He’s held the WBC title since 2020 when he defeated Deontay Wilder in the pair’s rematch. Fury is the No. 1 rated heavyweight by ESPN and No. 2, behind Usyk, by Ring Magazine.
Fury became a unified heavyweight champion in 2015 when he took down Wladimir Klitschko by unanimous decision. He later vacated the belts but became a two-time champion in his trilogy of fights against the Tuscaloosa born knockout artist, Wilder.
While he’s never suffered a loss in his career, Fury has been knocked to the canvas on multiple occasions. Wilder knocked Fury down twice in their first fight, which ended in a split decision draw.
Wilder again sent Fury to the canvas, twice, in the pair’s third fight but Fury survived and ultimately won that bout by 11th round knockout, a credit to his chin, given Wilder has 42 knockouts in his 43 wins.
Most recently Francis Ngannou shocked the world when he sat down Fury in the two’s fight in October of last year, which Fury won by a somewhat controversial split decision. Fury’s also been knocked down by Neven Pajkic in 2011 and Steve Cunningham in 2013.
While Usyk possesses nowhere near the punching power of Wilder or Ngannou, he’ll certainly take it as a positive that Fury has shown vulnerability in recent fights. Although Fury’s last outing was less than stellar, when at his best there is no other heavyweight with the combination of size, speed and skill that Fury brings to the table.
How much does Tyson Fury weigh?
Fury was 262 pounds at Friday’s weigh-in.
It is the lightest Fury has weighed in at since his fight against Otto Wallin in 2019. In his last fight against Francis Ngannou, which many criticized Fury’s preparation for, he weighed in at just under 278-pounds.
What is Oleksandr Usyk’s fight record?
Oleksandr Usyk has a 21-0 record with 14 wins coming by way of knockout.
Usyk is the No. 1 rated heavyweight and the No. 3 fighter pound-for-pound by Ring Magazine. ESPN rates him No. 2 at heavyweight, behind Fury, and No. 3 pound-for-pound.
From Ukraine, Usyk is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, the first undisputed cruiserweight champion in the four-belt era. After becoming undisputed at cruiserweight he moved up to heavyweight and soon faced Anthony Joshua for three of the four belts in the heavyweight division.
Usyk cruised to a unanimous decision victory in that fight before successfully defending the titles in a rematch against Joshua in 2022. Usyk became the third fighter to unify cruiserweight titles before moving up to win a heavyweight belt.
Usyk has since defended his titles once, in August of 2023 against highly ranked contender Daniel Dubois.
Depending on who you ask, either Fury or Usyk could be considered the best fighter at heavyweight. Fury has never lost and remains the lineal champion, but Usyk’s meteoric rise into the heavyweight division has left many calling him the top dog.
How much does Oleksandr Usyk weigh?
Usyk weighed in at 233.5 pounds at Friday’s weigh in.
This is the heaviest Usyk has ever weighed in at for a fight, as he continues to fill into the heavyweight division. Usyk weighed in at 221-pounds in each of his last three fights.
Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk stats
Being the two best fighters in the heavyweight division, there are few fighters in the weight class that can touch the numbers of Fury and Usyk.
Over his last 15 fights, Fury has thrown an average of 44.8 punches per round, landing 12.5. In that same time frame, Usyk has averaged 49.6 punches thrown per round while landing 13.3, meaning Usyk lands slightly more punches per round but is less accurate than Fury.
Fury and Usyk are virtually identical in terms of power punches landed and the accuracy at which they’re being landed, each connecting on roughly 40% of their power shots.
Defensively both fighters are strong. Fury opponents have landed just 6.6 punches per round against him, second fewest among top rated heavyweights. Usyk’s opponents at heavyweight have landed just 19.3% of punches against him, the lowest among top rated heavyweights.
Fury is 35 years old and stands 6-foot-9 with an 85-inch reach. Usyk is 37 years old, 6-3 with a 78-inch reach.
Statistics by Compubox
Fury vs Usyk fight odds
Tyson Fury is a -120 favorite on DraftKings, while Oleksandr Usyk is +100 to win. The over/under on rounds is 10.5.
- Fury by decision: +210
- Usyk by decision: +185
- Fury by KO/TKO: +300
- Usyk by KO/TKO: +475
Odds via DraftKings as of May 16.
What is Tyson Fury’s net worth?
While Fury’s exact net worth is unknown, we do have an idea of his recent career earnings.
This week Fury was named the 42nd-highest paid athlete on the planet by Forbes, making $50 million in the last year. Of that, $42 million came in the ring, with the remaining $8 million coming from endorsements and other business ventures.
Two other boxers featured on the list, Canelo Alvarez was No. 14 with $85 million in total earnings, while Fury’s compatriot Anthony Joshua was No. 16 with $83 million.
Tyson Fury crashes Mike Tyson interview
Boxing fans were witness to a special moment ahead of Fury’s last fight against Ngannou, when Fury crashed an interview with Hall of Famer Mike Tyson.
Fury is notably named after the former heavyweight champion from Brownsville, Brooklyn, who is set to fight Youtuber turned boxer Jake Paul in an officially sanctioned heavyweight fight this summer at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Tyson calls Fury the king of boxing before the Brit jumps into the frame, hugging his namesake.
“How about me and Mike on the same camera, together. I’m named after this guy; it makes him even more of a legend,” Fury said. “This guy is a bonafide living, alive, legend and I’m named after him and I’m proud to be named after him.”
Harrison Campbell covers boxing for The Tennessean and high school sports for The Daily Herald. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp.