Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs), who came in with the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, captured the WBC and lineal titles from Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) to go undisputed. The last time boxing had an undisputed heavyweight champion was 2000 (Lennox Lewis, three-belt era).
In a fight that went into the ninth round, when Usyk nearly ended the fight and scored a knockdown, two judges scored the fight 115-112 and 114-113 for Usyk, while the third had it 114-113 for Fury.
Both fighters opened the fight with an active jab, but Usyk dictated the pace and landed the most significant shots in the first two rounds, catching Fury with a looping left hook late in the first round and starting the second round with a solid two-punch combination. .
Usyk continued to advance in the third round, but Fury began to find a rhythm, throwing more combinations and landing good body shots despite struggling against his back foot. He stayed busy behind his jab and set up a hard right uppercut early in the fourth round, and drove a hard right hand to the body that sent Usyk back.
A big right uppercut stunned Usyk in round 6, visibly injuring him and forcing him to cover up momentarily. Fury looked to get into a groove, bouncing on his feet and taunting Usyk while throwing sharp punches.
Fury connected with another hard right uppercut that sent Usyk back in the seventh round, but Usyk kept coming, bursting Fury with a straight right hand and ending the round with a combination.
Usyk showed his heart and fought back in the eighth, scoring with a three-punch combination and forcing Fury back into the ropes after a big overhand left. Another big two-punch combination connected for Usyk, and he stunned Fury with a looping right hand in the final seconds of the round, as swelling began to develop under Fury’s right eye.
Usyk looked reinvigorated to open the 9th day, which was crucial for the Ukrainian. He started pressuring Fury again and connected flush with a big left hand with Fury against the ropes. A huge left hand put Fury in trouble, and Usyk sensed Fury was hurt and charged in for the finish, connecting with several tough combinations. Fury was visibly injured, staggering against the ropes, and the referee ordered a reversal as the bell rang to end the round.
Usyk backed Fury against the corner to open the 10th round. Fury still seemed dazed from the punishment he took in the previous round, but Usyk remained patient instead of opening his attack.
Usyk started aggressively in the 11th round and continued to advance. He caught Fury with another hard left hand to the chin and closed the round with a big right.
