MMA Fighting has Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk live round-by-round updates for one of the most anticipated boxing fights of the year on Saturday night at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The main event is expected to begin around 5 p.m. ET on DAZN and PPV.com pay-per-view. Check out our Fury vs. Usyk results page to find out what happened on the undercard.
Fury (34-0-1) is one of the most decorated heavyweight champions in recent history, but had an underwhelming performance against lineal UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou when the two fought each other this past October. Fury eked out a split decision victory over the boxing debutant, despite getting dropped in the third round. Now he faces a considerably more experienced opponent in Usyk.
Usyk (21-0) is the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in boxing. He turned professional in 2013 and has been dominant since, becoming the first (and thus far only) undisputed cruiserweight champion in the four-belt era. Usyk then moved up to heavyweight, where he twice defeated Anthony Joshua to claim his current titles. Most recently, Usyk defended his belts with a ninth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois this past August.
That’s a wrap on the undercard. The Fury vs. Usyk main event is up next.
Get the Fury vs. Usyk round-by-round live blog below:
But first, a live performance from JID.
Here they come, the highly anticipated undisputed heavyweight title fight is actually happening! Usyk out first.
And now, “The Gypsy King,” Tyson Fury. Unreal atmosphere for two incredible walkouts. Fury coming out to You’re The First, The Last, My Everything by Barry White, which then transitions into Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out for a Hero.
Round 1: Fury sprints to the middle of the ring, Usyk right there to meet him. Head movement from Fury as he sets up his jab. He’s keeping his distance perfectly, just probing with that lead hand. Glancing body shot by Fury. Usyk with no answer for that jab yet. Some showboating from Fury as Usyk tries to corner him. Jab working for Fury. Jab-body combo by Fury, Usyk throws caution to the wind and gets Fury’s attention with an overhand left. Flurry by Usyk, but Fury ducks out of the corner to safety. Tense first round.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Fury.
Round 2: Usyk sneaks in a jab and follows with a hard left. Fury tries to laugh it off, but those connected. Usyk chasing, he tags Fury to the body. Double jab by Fury. Usyk cutting off the ring, but he takes a jab for his troubles. Fury drops his hands behind him, taunting Usyk. Jab by Fury. Usyk finds an opening for that left hand again. Fury winds up a right to the body. There’s a right up top and that got Usyk’s attention. Usyk with a combination in the corner. Great pressure by Usyk. Uppercut by Fury. Great round.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Usyk. Overall, 19-19.
Round 3: Usyk jabs at the body to approach. Fury rifling his jab out there to slow Usyk. There’s a 1-2 by Fury. Usyk touching the body as he cuts off the ring. Fury showing slick footwork to avoid being cornered. Left hook by Usyk. Usyk not letting Fury circle without pressure. Body shot by Fury. Combination from Fury connects. He’s letting Usyk come to him. Usyk aggressive, he connects with the left again.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Fury. Overall, 29-28 Fury.
Round 4: Usyk again on the front foot right away. Fury countering with body punches. His hands are loose and he’s forcing Usyk to cover up. Usyk closes the distance. Left hand from Usyk scores. There’s that long left uppercut by Fury, Usyk didn’t see that coming. Fury firing punches up top and he drops his hands again. No shortage of confidence, as usual. Right uppercut by Fury. Another glancing Fury right scores. Usyk staying steady, not playing into Fury’s antics. Good body work by Usyk as Fury continues to clown around. They trade hooks. Counter uppercut by Fury as he backs up.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Fury. Overall, 39-37 Fury.
Round 5: Fury catches Usyk with a short jab. Usyk using a lot of energy to find angles, and he gets a right hook to land. Fury punches his way out of the corner. Right hand from Usyk scores. There’s a loud right from Fury. Left hook to the body by Fury. Another right to the midsection from Fury. There’s another shot, but Usyk signals that it was below the belt. The action quickly resets, with Fury pressuring. That jab is just stuffed in Usyk’s face. Usyk gets his gloves up to block a Fury combo.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Fury. Overall, 49-46 Fury.
Round 6: Jab by Fury, Usyk counters with a body punch. He pushes Fury to the ropes, but Fury works his way out. Fury circles and lands a left. He keeps going to the body. Probing left by Usyk. Good combination from Fury. Fury starting to lean on the smaller fighter. Hard body shot by Fury hurts Usyk. He tags him again and Usyk’s defense opens up, Fury rocks him with an uppercut. Usyk retreating. Body-head combo by Fury. Usyk keeping his distance as best he can. Clear Fury round.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Fury. Overall, 59-55 Fury.
Round 7: Usyk not backing down, he corners Fury and throws to the body. Fury too big to keep there though and he just circles out. Right uppercut by Fury, then a right to the body. There’s that weight advantage factoring in as he bodies Usyk against the ropes. Strong jab from Usyk, he’s connecting. Straight left by Usyk. Fury biding his time and after a lull he lands another stiff uppercut. Usyk not letting Fury relax. Usyk steps in with a left hand up high. Competitive round.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Usyk. Overall, 68-65 Fury.
Round 8: Usyk determined to be the aggressor, he opens the eighth with a burst of power punches. Fury defending well, but Usyk definitely scoring. Jab by Fury, Usyk ducks down and attacks the body. Usyk blocks a Fury combo and lands one of his own. Fury not taunting now. Fury reestablishes the jab. Usyk steps in and lands another good punch. Wide right hand from Usyk catches Fury.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Usyk. Overall, 77-75 Fury.
Round 9: Usyk with a 1-2, he’s taking the fight right to Fury. Fury’s jab remains reliable. Good straight right by Fury, then another. Fury pumping in uppercuts as Usyk closes the distance. Jab by Usyk, he just misses with a power left. Moments later, he lands it. Usyk back to the body. Superb head movement from Usyk. He scores with a big left. Short right by Usyk. Two big punches from Usyk and Fury is HURT. Left from Usyk. Fury stumbling, he’s in danger, 15 seconds left in the round. Usyk is clubbing him. Fury doesn’t go down, but the referee steps in to issue a count. Fury responds, but he’s lucky the round is over. He was on dream street.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-8, Usyk. Overall, 85-85.
Round 10: Usyk right back on the attack. Fury’s legendary resilience being put to the test. That left hand of Usyk is breaking through Fury’s guard. Fury using his reach to keep Usyk away, but he’s not landing anything impactful. Usyk patient. Left hand from Usyk, he flurries and Fury has to turtle up. Back in the center of the ring, they jockey for position. That Usyk left has Fury flinching. Straight left for Usyk. Fury controlling the range back in the middle of the ring. Fury back to showboating, but only for a second as Usyk piles on the pressure. Right connects for Fury. Last 30 seconds could decide this round. Usyk left hand has Fury almost turning away along the ropes.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Usyk. Overall, 95-94 Usyk.
Round 11: Fury lets Usyk take him to the ropes, Usyk not over-committing. Fury’s jab not finding its mark right now, Usyk times it and hits that left again. Usyk to the body. He goes body-body-head and Fury slows him with some grabbing. Fury to the body now. Right hand by Usyk. Usyk left hand, Fury counter punches. Usyk letting his left hand go and he’s scoring. Right hook by Usyk. Fury with some dirty boxing to close the round, but Usyk shakes him off and lands that overhand left again. Wow.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Usyk. Overall, 105-103 Usyk.
Round 12: Three minutes to glory. Some ugly grappling right out of the gate. Usyk advances with his jab. Fury’s head movement saves him from the follow-up strikes. Usyk pops him with the left. Fury counters with a left hook. Fury jabs and circles. Overhand left by Usyk again, he wants to keep Fury in the corner. Left catches Fury again. Hard right by Fury. Usyk taps the body. He steps in with a lead right and he scores. Fury hits Usyk with a right. That might have wobbled him, but no follow-up from Fury. Fury smacks him with a two-punch combo. Right by Usyk catches Fury off balance. Fury drops his hands with 10 seconds to go. They trade, but neither can land the conclusive shot. Drama! Scorecards could be all over the place.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Fury. Overall, 114-113 Usyk.
Official result: Oleksandr Usyk def. Tyson Fury via split decision (115-112, 113-114, 114-113)
Usyk and Fury embrace after the fight, with Fury telling Usyk, “Well done.”
Fury adds that he believes he won the fight and looks forward to their rematch, which was previously agreed upon in their bout contract. He wants the bout in October.
Usyk welcomes an immediate rematch with Fury.
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