Tyson Fury loses first fight EVER as Oleksandr Usyk crowned undisputed heavyweight king
Oleksandr Usyk secured boxing immortality with a slender points victory over Tyson Fury.
Oleksandr Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 25 years with a slender points victory over Tyson Fury on a historic night in Saudi Arabia. The Ukrainian edged a split decision to cement his legacy as an all-time great and condemn Fury to his first professional defeat.
Usyk started the fight well, taking the centre of the ring and finding his range almost straight away. The tide began to turn in the middle rounds, with Fury landing a few heavy shots of his own and opening up a small graze above Usyk's right eye.
The defining moment of the bout came in the ninth round, when Usyk knocked Fury down with a devastating combination to gain the upper hand. The Gypsy King huffed and puffed at the business end of the contest but failed to do enough to convince two of the three judges, with Usyk claiming the spoils by the narrowest of margins.
After the fight, both Usyk and Fury confirmed that a rematch would be the next step, with another meeting between the pair expected to take place later this year.
Follow Express Sport's live updates below...
KEY EVENTS
- Immediate reaction from both fighters00:47
- Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury via split decision00:38
- Jai Opetaia regains IBF crown with victory over Mairis Briedis22:59
- Anthony Cacace stuns Joe Cordina in gruelling battle21:38
- Agit Kabayel claims brilliant victory over Frank Sanchez20:41
- Moses Itauma stops Ilja Mezencev in round two19:45
- Mark Chamberlain flattens Joshua Wahab in round one19:08
- Robin Sirwan Safar beats Sergey Kovalev on points18:56
- Tonight's card in full18:09
Goodnight
That's all we've got time for tonight.
Thanks for joining us to follow a historic night of boxing, with Oleksandr Usyk being crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion after handing Tyson Fury the first defeat of his career.
It looks like the two fighters are going to run it back in October, which will be a brilliant scrap if it lives up to the standards set in Saudi Arabia this evening.
Catch you soon!
\ud83c\udfc6 \ud835\udde8\ud835\udde1\ud835\uddd7\ud835\udddc\ud835\udde6\ud835\udde3\ud835\udde8\ud835\udde7\ud835\uddd8\ud835\uddd7! \ud83c\udfc6
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) May 18, 2024
History made as @usykaa defeats Tyson Fury and now has all the belts! \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6#FuryUsyk pic.twitter.com/rge1cu7fXb
Immediate reaction from both fighters
Tyson Fury says he feels he won the fight and confirms he is ready for a rematch in October.
"I believe I won that fight," he insists.
"I believe he won a few rounds but I won more of them. Make no mistake, I won that fight and I'll be back.
"We go back to our families and we run it back in October. I'm not going to sit here and cry and make excuses."
An emotional Oleksandr Usyk says he is also willing to run it back and thanks his team and supporters back in Ukraine.
"Thank you so much to my team," he says. "It's a big opportunity for my family, for me, for my country.
"It's a great time, it's a great day. Yes, of course I am ready for a rematch."
Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury via split decision
Oleksandr Usyk becomes the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis achieved the feat in 1999!
He ends up on the right side of a split decision, with the knockdown in the ninth round proving crucial to deciding the result.
The judges' scorecards read 115-112 to Usyk, 113-114 in favour of Fury and 114-113 for Usyk.
The tears are flowing in Usyk's corner and you cannot blame him. He has cemented his legacy as an all-time great!
USYK DEFEATS FURY BY SPLIT DECISION!!! \ud83e\udd2f
\u2014 Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) May 18, 2024
115-112 USYK
114-113 FURY
114-113 USYK
Buy #FuryUsyk LIVE on TNT Sports Box Office \ud83d\udc49 https://t.co/FXWiFF98Ej pic.twitter.com/b1mHARO2GK
Final round
The two fighters touch gloves in a show of mutual respect before the final round begins.
Oleksandr Usyk lands with another body shot before swinging and missing with a series of right and left hooks.
Tyson Fury is caught on the forehead with a couple of strong right hand from Usyk but responds by rocking his opponent with a straight right!
Usyk quickly gets back onto the front foot and lands a few more scoring punches to secure a strong finish.
The final bell rings and it seems as though Usyk has done enough to edge it on the scorecards!
We await the judges' verdicts...
Round 11
Oleksandr Usyk is straight back on the front foot in the penultimate round, but is unable to land with an early flurry of punches.
Tyson Fury throws an overhand right but Usyk hits back with a couple of accurate counter-punches before dipping out of range.
Another left hand from Usyk draws a response from Fury, who lands with a clean body shot, but it doesn't cause any damage to his opponent.
Usyk catches Fury with another big left hand before a powerful combination sees him finish the round on a strong note.
Fury will almost certainly need a late knockout to win this fight, with Usyk likely to be up on the judges' scorecards.
Round 10
Oleksandr Usyk smells blood and unleashes a barrage of powerful overhands, but Fury shrugs them off.
Fury appears to have recovered from the wobble that nearly finished him off in the previous round.
Usyk is now in full control, though, and will be ahead on the scorecards after knocking Fury down in the ninth.
He lands another strong left hand with just seconds left in the round.
Round nine
Both fighters are starting to tire, with the frequency of clinches ramping up.
Tyson Fury lands with a series of uppercuts in close quarters before Oleksandr Usyk responds with a fine jab.
The Ukrainian fires a powerful left hand and then another, which rocks Fury! His legs are gone!
He falls against the ropes and the referee starts his count, but Fury beats it and is saved by the bell.
He was very fortunate to avoid being stopped by Usyk there!
Round eight
Oleksandr Usyk comes out swinging with a combination of powerful strikes, which all land successfully.
Tyson Fury eats a few more punches but shakes them off before flashing a cheeky grin at his opponent.
Usyk catches Fury with a perfectly-timed overhand left, drawing blood from the nose of the Gypsy King!
It's a much better round from Usyk, who is giving everything to wrestle back control as we approach the business end of the fight.
Round seven
Tyson Fury makes a solid start to the round, taking the centre of the ring and landing a series of strong punches.
Oleksandr Usyk responds with a good shot of his own before he is caught by another right hand from Fury.
Usyk springs back into life at the end of the round, connecting with an overhand right just before the bell rings.
I've got Fury edging it by four rounds to three, but it's very, very close.
Round six
Oleksandr Usyk lunges at Tyson Fury straight away but is caught with a quick right hand.
Fury lands with a couple of punches to the body before rolling away as Usyk swings and misses with an overhand right.
A very strong right hand from Fury prompts a grimace from Usyk before an uppercut staggers the former cruiserweight champion.
What an intriguing fight this is turning out to be, and we're only at the halfway stage!
Round five
A slight graze has opened up above Oleksandr Usyk's right eye, but it doesn't look serious.
Tyson Fury is starting to find his feet. He briefly switches to southpaw and lands a sweet left hand to the body.
He follows up with a clean right hand before hitting Usyk with a potential low blow, which the Ukrainian is not happy with.
Another straight right is followed up by an uppercut, with Fury really growing into this fight as we approach the halfway point.
Round four
Tyson Fury begins the round by stepping in and landing a few solid punches before Oleksandr Usyk fires back with an overhand left.
Another strong combination from Fury is followed by a clean left hook to the body and an uppercut.
Usyk backs Fury into the corner of the ring and unleashes a barrage of body shots, but none of them make their way through.
It's the strongest round of the fight from Fury's perspective.
Round three
Oleksandr Usyk continues to work the body of Tyson Fury, landing a flurry of clean shots at the start of round three.
He connects again with a strong left hand, with Fury struggling to land his punches due to Usyk hopping in and out of range.
Fury steps in for a jab but is quickly put up against the ropes by Usyk, who signals that he has been punched in the back of the head.
The referee is unmoved, though.
Round two
Oleksandr Usyk catches Tyson Fury with another strong left hand at the very start of the round.
The Ukrainian works the body with another couple of jabs, while Fury plays up to the crowd again by putting his hands behind his back.
Usyk is holding the centre of the ring and looks to have already found his range.
Fury responds by landing his first meaningful punch of the bout with a good body shot and connects with another just before the bell.
Round one
Oleksandr Usyk lands the first punch of the fight with a straight left hand to the body.
Tyson Fury goes to work behind his jab, with the Gypsy King looking to use his superior reach to his advantage.
He takes a moment to play up to the crowd, putting his guard down against the ropes and dancing from side to side.
Usyk ends the round strongly, connecting with an overhand left before catching Fury again seconds before the bell.
Fascinating stuff in the opening round!
Seconds out
After all of the build-up and the pre-fight chatter, we are just seconds away from the biggest heavyweight clash of this century.
HERE WE GO!
Tale of the tape
Here's a look at how the two fighters shape up ahead of tonight's historic bout...
AN \ud835\udc14\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc03\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc12\ud835\udc0f\ud835\udc14\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc03 TALE OF THE TAPE \ud83e\udd29@Tyson_Fury vs. @usykaa FOR IT ALL \ud83d\udc51#FuryUsyk | Live NOW on DAZN! Click link in bio to buy. #RingOfFire | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/UcdTp0bSsD
\u2014 DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 18, 2024
Tyson Fury dances to the ring
Tyson Fury looks supremely confident as he skips to the ring, stopping for a bit of shadow boxing on the way as he soaks up the atmosphere.
With his left arm raised, he jumps over the ropes and gets in Oleksandr Usyk's face before returning to his corner.
Here comes Oleksandr Usyk!
Oleksandr Usyk makes his way to the ring in what looks like traditional Ukrainian dress.
He has been preparing for this fight for 22 years, ever since he first pulled on a pair of boxing gloves as a teenager.
A former undisputed cruiserweight king, will he be able to repeat the feat in boxing's showpiece division tonight?
A musical interlude before the big fight
We are being treated to a live performance from rapper JID, who is dancing around to his own songs in what appears to be a perspex box in the middle of the Kingdom Arena.
Can we just have the ring walks, please?
Here we go!
We are just moments away from welcoming Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to the ring.
Two undefeated fighters. A place in boxing history on the line. The chance to become the first undisputed heavyweight king since the great Lennox Lewis in 1999.
Will it be Fury or will it be Usyk?
Strap yourselves in and get ready for what promises to be a truly historic bout...
Jai Opetaia regains IBF crown with victory over Mairis Briedis
Jai Opetaia earns a one-sided points decision to beat Mairis Briedis and regain the IBF cruiserweight title.
Opetaia did not have it all his own way, with Briedis putting in a solid performance and rocking his opponent at times in spite of the result.
The result sees Opetaia extend his unblemished professional record to 25 wins from as many fights.
Jai Opetaia takes his record to a phenomenal 25-0! \ud83c\udfc6 \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) May 18, 2024
Buy #FuryUsyk LIVE on TNT Sports Box Office \ud83d\udc49 https://t.co/FXWiFF98Ej pic.twitter.com/Iy5vpBsZUI
Not long now...
Here's a look at Tyson Fury getting his hands wrapped by his trainer SugarHill Steward with the main event rapidly approaching...
Tyson Fury getting his hands wrapped \u23f3
\u2014 Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) May 18, 2024
\ud83c\udfa5 @trboxing pic.twitter.com/H7y2iDZ7Yt
Jai Opetaia faces Mairis Briedis up next
The final undercard fight will see Jai Opetaia go up against Mairis Briedis for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title.
Opetaia goes in as the strong favourite to win this one and will be hoping to extend his professional record to 25 victories from 25 fights.
A reminder that we are just one fight away from the main event, with Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk getting their preparations well underway in their respective dressing rooms.
Anthony Cacace stuns Joe Cordina in gruelling battle
Anthony Cacace stops Joe Cordina to become the new IBF super featherweight champion!
A flush right hand rocks Cordina in the eighth before the referee waves off the fight, with the Welshman not returning any of the punches coming his way.
Cordina, who was dropped in round three but somehow survived to hear the bell, showed plenty of heart in spite of the result.
Oleksandr Usyk looks calm as he arrives
And here's Oleksandr Usyk, sporting a white tracksuit with a design incorporating Ukraine's national colours of yellow and blue.
He will certainly do his country proud if he can inflict the first defeat of Tyson Fury's professional career tonight.
USYK HAS ARRIVED! \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6
\u2014 Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) May 18, 2024
Buy #FuryUsyk LIVE on TNT Sports Box Office \ud83d\udc49 https://t.co/FXWiFF98Ej pic.twitter.com/C5Ohbj0jBW
Tyson Fury in the building!
Tyson Fury has arrived at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh ahead of tonight's historic main event.
Never one to shy away from the limelight, he rocks up to the venue in a dazzling white and gold suit.
FURY HAS ARRIVED! \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7
\u2014 Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) May 18, 2024
Buy #FuryUsyk LIVE on TNT Sports Box Office \ud83d\udc49 https://t.co/FXWiFF98Ej pic.twitter.com/oaeJFOqrDx
Agit Kabayel claims brilliant victory over Frank Sanchez
Agit Kabayel puts in a career-best performance to stop Frank Sanchez in the seventh round!
The man from Bochum floors Sanchez twice and leaps with delight as the referee steps in to bring an end to proceedings.
The result sees Sanchez lose his undefeated record, with Kabayel now boasting 25 victories from as many professional fights.
SANCHEZ DOWN AND OUT! \u274c
\u2014 Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) May 18, 2024
HUGE WIN FOR KABAYEL! \ud83d\udea8 pic.twitter.com/Kdbaz7qF9H
The stars are out in Riyadh
There will be no shortage of A-listers at ringside for tonight's main event between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
The likes of Lennox Lewis, Steven Gerrard and Anthony Joshua have already been spotted at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
We are expecting Cristiano Ronaldo to join the party at some point, with the Al-Nassr forward due to be seated next to Turki Alalshikh at ringside.
Moses Itauma stops Ilja Mezencev in round two
British heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma gets another impressive win under his belt, securing a TKO victory over Ilja Mezencev in the second round.
Mezencev is left clearly hurt by a flurry of shots, with referee Howard Foster waving off the fight without too much hesitation.
The result sees Itauma extend his unbeaten professional record to 22 victories from as many bouts.
Lennox Lewis reflects on undisputed triumph
One man who knows better than most about what it takes to reach the pinnacle of boxing is Lennox Lewis.
He became the last undisputed heavyweight champion in 1999 with a points victory over Evander Holyfield in their second fight after their initial bout ended in a split draw.
Lewis will be watching tonight's main event with a keen interest and knows exactly what it means to be undisputed.
"The feeling was great," he tells TNT Sports. "I worked my entire career for it, to get all the belts together.
"I didn’t look at the history aspect, but Holyfield had never fought me but people said he was the champion.
"If a cruiserweight comes up to my weight class, I’ve got to let him know. Holyfield realised he had to work to beat me.
"In the first fight, he was coming to the ring singing. I thought: 'How is he singing? He’s not taking me seriously!'
"I didn’t want the argument [about who was better]. When you’re undisputed, nobody can say nothing."
Mark Chamberlain flattens Joshua Wahab in round one
It's a quick night's work for Mark Chamberlain, who knocks out Joshua Wahab in the very first round!
The undefeated Brit brings a swift end to the fight with a flurry of unanswered punches, with a powerful left hand doing most of the damage.
Chamberlain, who is said to be the favourite fighter of Saudi kingpin Turki Alalshikh, now has 16 victories from 16 professional fights.
CLINICAL from Mark Chamberlain who gets the round one FINISH! \u26a1\ud83d\udd25
\u2014 Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) May 18, 2024
Watch #FuryUsyk | \ud83d\udcf2 https://t.co/OQ4uuPnKxJ pic.twitter.com/urqzYVIwmp
Robin Sirwan Safar beats Sergey Kovalev on points
Robin Sirwan Safar secures a one-sided points victory over veteran Sergey Kovalev on the undercard.
Safar dropped Kovalev with a ferocious right hand in the 10th and final round and was largely dominant throughout the entire bout.
The 31-year-old, who hails from Las Vegas, remains undefeated after extending his record to 17 wins from as many professional fights.
ROBIN SIRWAN SAFAR hands Sergey Kovalev his fifth career defeat \ud83d\ude2e#FuryUsyk | Live NOW on DAZN! Click link in bio to buy.#RingOfFire | #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/IzMCnS7lVR
\u2014 DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 18, 2024
A turbulent fight week
The build-up to tonight's main event has been largely cordial but there were two major flashpoints earlier this week.
The first came on Monday, when Tyson Fury's father John headbutted a member of Team Usyk and was left with blood pouring down his face.
Tensions also flared at yesterday's weigh-in, with Fury shoving Oleksandr Usyk during the face-off as they stared each other down.
The Gypsy King went on to launch a verbal tirade against Usyk and his team, saying: "I'm going to knock this little f***** spark out.
"I'm coming for his heart, that's what I'm coming for. F*** his belts, I'm coming for his f***ing heart.
"He's getting it tomorrow, spark out. F*** him and f*** all of his team too. F*** the lot of them. They can all get it if they want too, s***houses."
Tonight's card in full
Here's a look at tonight's full card, which we will update as the results come in...
Oleksandr Usyk def Tyson Fury via SD
Jai Opetaia def Mairis Briedis via UD
Anthony Cacace def Joe Cordina via R8 TKO
Agit Kabayel def Frank Sanchez via R7 KO
Moses Itauma def Ilija Mezencev via R2 TKO
Mark Chamberlain def Joshua Wahab via R1 KO
Robin Sirawn Safar def Sergey Kovalev via UD
Daniel Lapin def Octavio Pudivtr via R1 KO
David Nyika def Michael Seitz via R1 KO
Isaac Lowe def Hasibullah Ahmadi via UD
Welcome!
The day we have all been waiting for is finally here!
We are just hours away from the first undisputed heavyweight clash since 1999, with Tyson Fury facing Oleksandr Usyk for all the marbles.
It is undoubtedly the biggest fight of their careers and will go a long way to defining their respective legacies when all is said and done.
Will Fury pull through to cement himself as the best heavyweight of his era? Or will Usyk go down as an all-time great by inflicting the first defeat of Fury's career?
Stay with Express Sport for all the latest updates from this historic bout, as well as the best action from the undercard in Saudi Arabia.