Usyk defeats Fury to become undisputed heavyweight champ

Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in a razor-thin split decision at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh early Sunday morning to become the undisputed heavyweight boxing world champion.

Usyk, dwarfed by his enormous opponent, had to weather a storm in the middle of the fight, but he came back strong, forcing Fury to take a standing count in the ninth round as he blazed his way to victory.

The 37-year-old Ukrainian is the first boxer to hold all four major heavyweight titles simultaneously, as well as the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis' reign ended in April 2000.

Usyk dominated the first three rounds before Fury found his rhythm in the fourth, displaying some showmanship as he began to catch Usyk with vicious body shots, but the Ukrainian fought back with several stinging reminders of his power.

Usyk turned the tide in the eighth round, and few would have been surprised if the referee had stopped the fight in the ninth, as the Ukrainian's powerful punches to the head left Fury stunned.

The previously undefeated Briton held on until the bell, but he struggled through the final three rounds of the fight as Usyk chased him down, edging him out on the judges' scorecards.

"Thank you so much. ... It's a big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country. ... It's a great time, it's a great day," a tearful Usyk said in a post-fight interview in the ring, adding that he would grant Fury an immediate rematch.

SportsLigue