Usyk defeats Fury again to retain heavyweight titles

Oleksandr Usyk has defeated Tyson Fury by unanimous decision to retain his unified heavyweight titles.

The Ukrainian boxer was victorious over Fury for the second time in 2024 as the duo sweated it out at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of Sunday.

Usyk won the bout after all three judges scored it 116-112 in favour of the 37-year-old champion.

Usyk defeated Fury via split decision during their first face-off in May. The loss was the first of the British fighter’s professional career, and Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since Lennox Lewis 25 years ago.

The rematch went too similarly to the previous fight, with Usyk wearing down his bigger British opponents with the volume of his punches.

Fury’s determination was evident with the power behind his strikes. One of those struck Usyk in the first round and had the Ukrainian rocking for half a second.

Conversely, Usyk followed the game plan that had brought him success in the first fight between the two: plenty of body shots. As the lighter and smaller boxer, he used his advantage to pummel the Briton with speedy punches.

The Ukrainian only got more dominating as the rounds counted on, and Fury’s initial furore was waning. In the sixth round, Usyk landed an overhand left on Fury’s forehead.

The Briton replied in the following round, drawing a wince from Usyk with a sharp lefty hook. But Usyk sensed Fury’s uneasiness and pressed him continuously in the latter rounds.

The victory extends Usyk’s undefeated record to 23 wins in his professional career.