The Ukranian took another decision on the scorecards after a typically strong finish to a fight which lacked the ebb and flow of the first edition, but was nevertheless engrossing. At the postfight news conference, Usyk was presented two flags signed by the Ukrainian military fighting off Russian forces at the border. The fight was originally scheduled for Feb. 17 but was postponed when Fury suffered a cut in sparring that required 11 stitches over his right eye two weeks out. Against Usyk, Fury suffered another cut, but this time over his left eye.

Usyk vs. Fury was exactly what the sport of boxing has been missing1yMike Coppinger

• After moving up from cruiserweight, Usyk upset Anthony Joshua to win three title belts in 2021.
• “My grandfather was 6 foot 3 too. Boxers in the heavyweight division now are 6 foot five to 6 foot nine now. So for him to be doing it at a height disadvantage, I would definitely consider him a legend.”
• Usyk is 6′ 3″ tall, which is 191cm. His reach is 78 inches, which is 198 cm. Usyk fights from a southpaw stance, which means he favours his left hand as his power hand when fighting.
• He is also now the lineal heavyweight champion by beating Fury, who beat Wladimir Klitschko to earn that distinction in 2015.
• The fifth was the Gypsy King’s best round yet as he imposed his size and power, all while working behind his pinpoint jab, but he was caught several times in the sixth.
• Dubois is young, powerful, and determined to avenge his 2023 loss to Usyk.

He was born on January 17, 1987, so he will turn 39 in 6 months and 16 days. He currently holds The Ring Heavyweight, the WBC World Heavyweight, the WBO World Heavyweight, and the WBA Super World Heavyweight championships. Oleksandr Usyk will defend his heavyweight crown in a high-stakes rematch against a resurgent Daniel Dubois, July 19 at Wembley Stadium. He objected vociferously after the bout and even though he retired at the start of this year, Fury is still not at peace with the decision. Tyson Fury is retired but remains “very bitter” at the decision in his last fight.

Usyk vs Fury 2: Oleksandr Usyk wins decision in closely-fought battle with Tyson Fury

The ninth round was the turning point in May when Fury was saved by the bell and while that night’s dramatics were missing in the rematch, Usyk was showing similar purpose as he continued to build momentum. Usyk connected with two big left hands in a fourth round that ebbed and flowed and as the fight approached the halfway stage it was desperately close. “I win, it’s good. Thank you God,” was Usyk’s response to being asked whether he agreed with the judges’ scorecards.

Fury’s output began to drop and he was being driven backwards with Usyk’s left hand giving him plenty of problems. Fury staggered the Ukrainian with a short left uppercut and having taken a flurry of blows to his body, he hit back with intent. Unlike their first meeting, there was no showboating from the challenger. The pace was being set by Usyk but both fighters were landing in a lively start to the clash. Fury entered the fight at a fully-clothed 20stones 1lbs, almost four stones heavier than Usyk, and right from the start he took centre of the ring, showing more intent to carry the fight to his opponent.

Oleksandr Usyk’s team release first statement on shock split with long-time promoter

But Fury picked up his attack from the third round, working his size advantage and his typically unpredictable movement to throw right hands behind his sharp jab. Fury appeared to hurt Usyk with body shots right at the belt, and he rocked Usyk twice in the sixth with vicious uppercuts. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Oleksandr Usyk has been shorter, lighter and older than all of his opponents since he moved up to the heavyweight division.

Usyk vs. Dubois 2: Who Will Emerge Undisputed Heavyweight Champion?

“I believe I won the fight, but I’m not going to sit here and cry and make excuses,” said Fury, who owned a 39-pound and 6-inch advantage over Usyk. Usyk upset Anthony Joshua to win three title belts in 2021, and he kept them through two defenses while angling for the ultimate payday of a fight against Fury in Saudi Arabia. Usyk’s last 5 fights have come over a period of 4 years, 1 month and 20 days, which means he has been fighting approximately every 9 months and 29 days.

Usyk vs. Chisora

Deontay Wilder isn’t the most technically sound heavyweight ever. That said, he has the equalizer to end any fight, his dynamite power. Wilder has never been in a boring fight and his comeback to the win column could see some entertaining future fights in store.

“I see him as a top guy, he’s one of the best ranked in the world but now I think it’s my time. You know I’m the young lion here, I’ve got to prove I’m a real force, a new force in the division and I’m going to take over. Usyk, now 38, has fought most of his recent battles on foreign soil and under high-pressure conditions. He’s become a global road warrior, comfortable with logistical uncertainty—but his tight-knit team has remained largely unchanged for years. If Krassyuk’s departure is permanent, it would be the most significant personnel shift in Usyk’s camp since his early days. While Krassyuk didn’t explicitly say the relationship was over, the tone and language strongly imply that the professional partnership has come to an end.

Usyk has also notable victories over Daniel Dubois and oleksandr usyk vs daniel dubois Derek Chisora at heavyweight, and against Tony Bellew, Mairis Briedis, and Murat Gassiev at cruiserweight. Even in defeat, Fury rebounded in a big way following his lackluster performance in October against Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion who was boxing professionally for the first time. Fury, 35, was floored in Round 3 of that bout on his way to a split decision victory in a nontitle fight. As an amateur, Usyk won heavyweight gold medals at the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympics while accumulating a record of 335 wins and 15 losses. He turned professional in 2013, winning his first world title in 2016.

Honorary titles

Usyk turned over as a professional with Krassyuk’s K2 Promotions in 2013 after winning gold at the London Olympics. The Ukrainian defeated Tyson Fury to become a two-weight undisputed ruler and the new pound-for-pound king of the sport in 2024. With other victories over the likes of Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois and Derek Chisora, the 38-year-old Ukrainian has beaten all-comers at heavyweight since he made his divisional debut back in 2020. Sign up, follow him and get alerts when new fights are announced.

Oleksandr Usyk: Biography, record, fights and more

• At different stages in his career Fury has held every major championship belt, even if he never went undisputed.
• Usyk and Dubois fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world at Wembley stadium next month.
• In May 2024, Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to claim the WBC title and the undisputed championship in his second weight class.
• “It means the world, it means conquering everything this sport has to offer at the top of the game. Being undisputed in boxing is everything.”

Usyk is 6 inches shorter than the 6-foot-9 Fury, and he weighed in 30 pounds lighter than the hulking British star this week. The size difference didn’t matter to Usyk, who has used his athleticism and skill to counter every challenge he has faced since moving up from cruiserweight to heavyweight in 2019. “My grandfather was 6 foot 3 too. Boxers in the heavyweight division now are 6 foot five to 6 foot nine now. So for him to be doing it at a height disadvantage, I would definitely consider him a legend.” Usyk then punished Fury in the ninth, hitting him with another concussive left before battering the British star around the ring. Fury sagged into a corner while barely staying on his feet with about 10 seconds left in the round.

The list of undisputed champions includes Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson. He won WBC World Heavyweight belt against Tyson Fury, beating him by split decision after 12 rounds on May 18, 2024. He has held this belt for a total of 409 days (1 year, 1 month and 14 days) and has defended the belt 1 time. After losing his WBC title in last year’s undisputed championship clash with Oleksandr Usyk, Fury was also defeated in their December rematch by unanimous decision. Oxnard, California – In a surprising development ahead of his blockbuster rematch against Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk appears to have split from his longtime promoter Alex Krassyuk.