Tyson Fury - Oleksandr Usyk summary online, round by round, stats and highlights
Usyk undisputed heavyweight champ
Usyk drops Fury in ninth on way to split decision win
What a fight! Oleksandr Usyk came out looking like David in the face of Goliath. the size difference is almost impossible to convey. While he was on the front foot, pushing forward and scoring points, Usyk looked overmatched from virtually the beginning of the fight.
Tyson Fury was quick, both of hand and of foot, moving well and throwing out that long snappy jab and controlling the fight through the first half. Fury prides himself on being a showman, and he spent a lot of time and energy clowning and showing off for the crowd and that came back to bite him in the ninth round when Usyk caught him with that huge left hand. Fury was hurt badly, stumbling all over the ring and collapsing onto the ropes several times, finally going down and getting a standing eight count. The bell saved him and while many asked why the referee didn't stop the fight, it was the right decision to let the fight continue. Champions have earned the right to be knocked out.
Usyk turned the tide completely with that round and won the back end of the fight. While the scores were close, two judges gave it to Usyk while the third gave it to Fury making Oleksandr Usyk the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the 21st century, and the only one of the four belt era.
The rematch clause means that this fight will be rerun in October so there is always the chance that the story will have a different ending, but for now, Oleksandr Usyk is the king of all champions, the best in the world. A giant standing alone, astride of the entire sporting world. Undisputed.
GOODBYE!!!
That is going to do it for our live coverage of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did!
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It is a little bit petty of Tyson Fury to make his claims about how he thought that he won the fight right at this minute. Not the right time, not the right place. Give Usyk his moment and complain in the press tomorrow.
UNDISPUTED: Oleksandr Usyk wins by SD
The judges at ringside score it:
115-112 Usyk
114-113 Fury
114-113 Usyk
for the winner by split decision Oleksandr Usyk who is now the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world!
I scored that one 111-116 to Usyk. A couple of rounds could have gone the other way so it could be closer than that, but I feel that Usyk has won that fight. Of course, the only people whose opinion counts are the judges at ringside.
This is the final round and this has been a war!
They come to the middle of the ring and Fury holds on. After the break, Usyk lands that left hand again, but Fury comes back with a nice right hand off the ropes.
Usyk goes in with that big left hand again and lands it nicely. Fury comes back with a jab, jab, right hand and this is down to the wire!
Usyk lands another right hook and Fury comes back with a solid right hand. As the round ends they finish in a clench.
Usyk lands a nice right hand and follows it with a left that lands nicely. Fury clenches and saps energy, landing that long jab on the way out. Usyk comes forward with that right hand again and comes in for another when Fury catches him with a counter right to the midsection.
Both fighters are showing signs of fatigue and Usyk lands a huge left on the bell.
Usyk comes straight out and onto the attack. Fury is not fully back yet and is flailing, still dangerous even when wounded.
Usyk is patient, taking his time and getting closer but not going hell for leather. Fury is slowly regaining his senses.
Now back into the corner, Fury lands that quick right hand and he looks to be recovered now.
Usyk is straight out and trying to press the issue now and Fury is showing signs of being perhaps a little tired for the first time. Another double left hand finds it's mark from Usyk and Fury's eye is starting to swell.
Fury snaps out the right hand and lands cleanly. Fury is having trouble with that nose and Usyk lands left after left and he is completely gone! He stumbles around the ring and Usyk runs after him, pounding him with that left hand! He falls onto the ropes again and again! Finally the referee gave him a count but he was out on his feet there!
The bell saves him.
Usyk comes out and Fury clubs away at him to start things off. Usyk blocks them but they are always going to be hurtful. Fury flicks out a right and Usyk comes back with a heavy left hand.
Fury comes in for a right hand and Usyk makes him pay dearly for it, landing a peach of a left that snaps Fury's head around.
Usyk dives in with another left and stings Fury again. They come together and Usyk shows that he can land with the right hand as well. There is blood pouring from Fury's nose now.
Coming into the back half of the fight and I have it dead even on my card, with Fury growing in confidence.
Fury is on the attack as the round begins landing with both hands to the ribs, pushing Usyk back and leaning on him heavily. Usyk comes out and tries to flip this, working ahead pushing onto the front foot, having some small success before Fury catches him with a counter right. That was a sweet shot!
Usyk lands a big left in response and finishes the round strong.
Usyk is back on the attack, making Fury work hard through out the bout, circling the ring, moving all around the edges. Fury is using his jab and holding on, trying to use his size to his advantage.
Fury lands a huge right hand and that wobbles Usyk! Another one two and Usyk is in trouble here! He manages to weather the storm and gets back into his rhythm but Fury is in control here.
A head clash in the last round seems to have left a cut on the right eye of Usyk. That could be big later on.
Fury lands a sharp jab to start things off and then Usyk gets him onto the ropes and lands a nice shot to the body. Fury lands a very low punch and Usyk is clearly frustrated by it. The referee breaks the action but does not issue a warning.
Fury lands a one two as the round ends.
Fury lands a nice uppercut to the body to start and dances backward as Usyk stays on the front foot. Fury lands a nice left hand and Usyk looks to slip a little bit. He recovers immediately and comes back forward.
Fury lands a nice combinatioin with both hands and starts to clown around, trying to perhaps get in Usyk's head. If so, it does not seem to be working as Usyk comes back with a nice combo to the body.
Fury lands a nice right hand from the back foot to start the round. His jab is still on point. Fury gets onto the ropes again and Usyk lands that left again, though will less power than the early ones.
Another left to the body and Fury holds on, getting Usyk into a clench. Fury comes back with a nice jab and right hand. Usyk lands a nice combination and again Fury ties him up.
Usyk comes out with a peach of a left hand to start the second! Fury is dancing and trying to laugh it off but Usyk is having his way here.
Fury is now a bit more mobile but Usyk is closing off the ring and coming forward. Fury's jab is nice, sharp and accurate, but Usyk is landing with that left hand nicely.
Fury feints and lands a right hand, then an uppercut to the body.
Usyk is staying on the front foot and keeping Fury on the move.
We are away! They both come out and get to work. Fury with quick hands and working orthodox, Usyk mobile and workiing southpaw. They paw at each other trying to probe for an opening. They both target the body early, Fury making lots of feints and looking to be double Usyk's size. It is astounding to see!
Usyk lands a few jabs to the mid section, Fury starts to play up to the crowd and Usyk wisely backs away, letting Fury have his moment but not getting drawn in.
Usyk chips and lands a big left hand.
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk [IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles]
Here is the main event! We are all ready, the ringwalks were awesome, the anthems sung and Michael Buffer has introduced the fighters. LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!
The undisputed heavyweight champion will emerge. Will it be Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk? We are minutes away.
AND THE NEW: Jai Opetaia wins by UD
The ringside judges saw the fight as:
117-111
116-112
116-112
all three in favor of the winner by unanimous decision Jai Opetaia who becomes the IBF cruiserweight champion.
I have that as a clear Opetaia win, although Briedis won the last three or four rounds. But the judges at ringside are the only ones whose opinions count.
The final round gets going and Briedis is going for broke. Opetaia is on the back foot and struggling to hold on for the end. Briedis needs a knockout to win and he knows it.
Briedis lands a thumping right hand and Opetaia is shaken! He recovers nicely but that really rattled the Aussie there.
The final minute and they stand toe to toe, going at each other hammer and tongs. Briedis is trying to track him down while Opetaia backpedals away from trouble.
Briedis is now on the full attack! He comes out and rolls the dice! Briedis is going all in and hammering away at Opetaia!
They get tied up and the pace slows a bit, with both needing a breather. Opetaia is having trouble breathing with that nose, which is likely broken as well. Blood is everywhere.
The pace quickens here and Briedis goes on the attack, trying to get something going. Opetaia is comfortable and is still quick enough to get out of trouble when needed and countering well when he can.
Briedis manages to get Opetaia in trouble! He lands a huge right uppercut and now there is blood pouring from the nose of the Aussie. They exchange but Opetaia is hurt! The bell ends the round but that was great by Briedis.
Opetaia is cruising and seems hapy to do so. He circles and bides his time, waiting for Briedis to attack before throwing any kind of counter.
Again, Briedis lands a nice combination, with a jab and uppercut landing flush, but Opetaia is able to recover nicely and bring his own shots into play.
Briedis comes out with a nice right hand and the pace is certainly a bit faster than previously. Opetaia counters with his own shots, coming in and out, scoring points, getting away. Opetaia is faster both with the hands and the feet than Briedis and while the Latvian is game, the Aussie is in control.
Opetaia comes out nad lands a huge left hand and blood starts to pour from Briedis' nose. That could be a problem if it turns out to be broken again, as he will struggle to breathe. Opetaia lands another left but Briedis comes back with a series of hard counter shots, landing that right hand three times. Briedis' face is covered with blood now, that is bad!
His nose is almost certainly broken again.
The round ends with Opetaia pushing forward, and Briedis giving back as good as he gets.
Briedis is moving a little better now, able to avoid many of Opetaia's shots, something that he couldn't do in the first few rounds. Perhaps he had some ring rust that needed to be knocked off and now he is warming into the pace of the fight.
Both men land shots, but both also miss them.
Opetaia is in the driving seat here, landing that left hand but Briedis is still to be respected and he lands a solid right that snaps Opetaia's head around.
Briedis comes forward and lands a nice uppercut, but Opetaia is catching him regularly when he does that.
Opetaia is trying to lure Briedis out and get him to throw punches, but both seem to want to be the counter puncher. As Briedis goes in, Opetaia lands another right hook. The speed of Opetaia is impressive. It looks like Briedis is having trouble keeping up with the counters coming back at him.
Opetaia comes out and walks forward onto Briedis who finally opened up with a nice three punch combo. He gets perhaps greedy and goes back in for more but Opetaia lands a stunning left hand on the chin of his man. Talk about a wake up call!
Opetaia gets Briedis onto the ropes and lands a big uppercut, then another left hand. Briedis fights back and lands a shot on the back of the Aussie's head.
They both are trying to get a little more busy and looking to get on the front foot.
Two great champions come out for a rematch of their first fight, with the Latvian Briedis working orthodox and the Australian Opetaia working southpaw. They start out cagey, circling each other and trying to find openings for their jabs.
Jai Opetaia vs. Mairis Briedis [vacant IBF cruiserweight title]
Now for the main support of the evening as Jai Opetaia takes on Mairis Briedis for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title.
AND THE NEW: Anthony Cacace is the IBF and IBO super featherweight champion
Anthony Cacace took the fight in his hands and in the new IBF and IBO super featherweight champion.
Anthony Cacace wins by TKO
Cacace has Cordina onto the ropes again and is just unloading to start the round. Referee Bob Williams has seen enough and steps in to stop the assault. That is it!
Cacace looks the fresher of the two men, landing shots in numbers and Cordina is not throwing anything back! This is a troubling moment for Cordina!
Cacace has Cordina on the ropes again and the Welshman has no intention of moving off of them. This is a bad strategy by Cordina, if that is what it is.
With a minute to go in the round, Cordina fights his way off the ropes and moves back out to the middle of the ring.
Both men come out working close, trading short hooks and uppercuts. Eventually, Cacace bullies his man back onto the ropes and just lays into him. He lands a monstrous left hook to the ribs and Cordina is in trouble again! The bell sounds and it is not a moment too soon for Cordina.
The momentum that Cacace had in the last two rounds may have ebbed away. The two fighters stand toe to toe and trade shots here and there is no real clear advantage here. Cordina's mouthpiece comes out and the ref calls time to put it back in, chiding the corner for giving him water before putting it back in his mouth.
When they come back together, Cacace has a great run of landing combination shots.
Cacace jumps straight onto the attack again and this is the worst trouble that Cordina has ever been in. Cacace stays on top of Cordina and won't let him come up for air. Cordina lands a right hand that pushes Cacace off for a moment. He may have missed his moment now.
Cordina comes back throwing that right hand and looks like he has worked through the worst of it. Cacace is still outpunching him here but at least he is in the fight again, regrouping to an extent.
Cacace starts off with good body work, landing a sweet left hook to the ribs that Cordina definitely feels. Cacace senses it and goes back in with some more shots.
As referee Bob Williams calls for a break, Cacace lands a very late shot. Williams has a word with him about it but it definitely did some damage. Cacace stays on the attack and lands a big right hand that sends Cordina to the floor! He beats the count but is in all kinds of trouble here!
He manages to hold on as Cacace is going for the knockout and just barely makes it to the bell.
Cordina starts off quickly with a double jab, back hand but Cacace answers with a three punch combo of his own. Yet again, Cordina comes back with the same double tap, and a right hand that he led off with a foot feint.
Both fighters come out working orthodox and they are wary of each other, nipping in for a quick jab or hook, then backing away. Cacace lands a right to the body and Cordina comes back with a hook of his own.
Cordina walks onto a high jab that snaps his head back and Cacace grows in confidence coming in and getting perhaps a little too open as he is caught by a right hook to the ribs.
Joe Cordina vs. Anthony Cacace [IBF and IBO super featherweight titles]
Now the battle of Britain as Joe Cordina defends his IBF and IBO super featherweight titles against fellow countryman Anthony Cacace.
The rap superstar made another of his traditional bets, this time on Tyson Fury to defeat Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh. Drake put down $565,000 on Fury’s winning the fight and could double his cash to one million dollars if the Brit comes out on top.
Our own Fidel Rubio tells you all about it here.
What a display! Sanchez was comprehensively taken apart in the most unusual way for a heavyweight. Kabayel applied relentless pressure and worked the body, sapping all of the Cuban's energy.
Kabayel is now the WBC's top contender.
Agit Kabayel wins by KO
Sanchez is close to going over now. He is exhausted. Sanchez is breathing hard and leaning on the ropes. Kabayel lands a heavy right and Sanchez takes a knee. He takes the count and gets to his feet. He goes back to the ropes and Kabayel lands a right and left to the gut and Sanchez goes down again! This time he will not get up! That is it!
Sanchez is in real trouble now. He is backing away and looking very tired. Kabayel is haviing a ton of success by just staying on the front foot. Every now and again, Sanchez tries to throw a right hand to stop the forward march, but nothing doing. Kabayel has a great engine and is methodically wearing Sanchez down.
Sanchez comes forward for the first time in the fight and gets caught by a huge right hand from Kabayel. Sanchez immediately reverts to moving around the outside and backpedalling. Kabayel is taking the fight forward again and having a good go of it. With this constant pressure, Sanchez is all out of sorts. He can't get anything going at all.
Sanchez lands a heavy uppercut to the midriff of Kabayel but the German is barely slowed by it, coming back again and again with a heavy right hand of his own. They go back to the cat and mouse with Sanchez moving around the outside and Kabayel chasing him. Kabayel lands taht right hand as the round ends.
Sanchez continues to move arount the outside, forcing Kabayel to chase him. But chase him he does and Kabayel lands a heavy right hand, pushing the Cuban onto the ropes and keeping him there.
Sanchez is on the move, forcing Kabayel to follow him around the ring, and gets caught in the corner with a nice uppercut from the German. A nice right hook gets around the guard of Sanchez and they clinch. This gives the Cuban an opportunity to walk his man back to the center of the ring.
As they separate, Kabayel lands a nice right hand that makes Sanchez puff quite hard for air.
Kabayel comes out quickly and pushes Sanchez onto the ropes, but the Cuban pushes back with a nice right uppercut. They move out to the center of the ring and Kabayel tries to push forward again. He is stopped by a lightning fast right hand from Sanchez.
Frank Sanchez vs. Agit Kabayel [WBC heavyweight eliminator]
Now a title eliminator as Cuba's Frank Sanchez faces Germany's Agit Kabayel with the winner poised to become the WBC number one heavyweight challenger.
AND THE NEW: Moses Itauma is the WBO Intercontinental heavyweight champion
That was brutal and quick. In only two rounds, Moses Itauma takes the belt!
Moses Itauma wins by TKO
Itauma lands a massive three punch combo that just drops Mezencev! That was so heavy! Mezencev gets up but his legs are all over the place and the referee has no choice but to wave it off!
Itauma comes out in the southpaw stance as Mezencev works orthodox, but the early moments are in Itauma's favor. He has such hand speed!
Itauma throws a high jab almost as a feint and then lands a heavy left to the sternum of Mezencev. The big shots are coming from the Briton but Mezencev lands a huge left just as Itauma lands one of his own! They end the round with Mezencev on the floor but the referee rules that he was pushed.
Moses Itauma vs. Ilija Mezencev [vacant WBO Intercontinental heavyweight title]
Now we have another title fight as Britain's Moses Itauma takes on Germany's Ilija Mezencev for the vacant WBO Intercontinental heavyweight title.
AND THE NEW: Mark Chamberlain is the WBC silver lightweight champion
With that win, Mark Chamberlain moves to 16-0 and takes the WBC silver lightweight title.
Mark Chamberlain wins by TKO
Wahab comes out fighting from the orthodox side as Chamberlain is a port-sider. Both are wary of the long jab of their opponent, probing and trying not to over-reach.
Chamberlain has a very wide stance, and Wahab has to bounce in and out to score and he gets caught with a straight left hand that sends him to the mat! He gets up but is clearly buzzed, not knowing where he was. Chamberlain goes back onto the offense and the referee steps in to stop it before Wahab can fall over. That is it!
Mark Chamberlain vs. Joshua Wahab [vacant WBC silver lightweight title]
Now another interesting fight as Britain's Mark Chamberlain takes on Nigeria's Joshua Wahab for the vacant WBC silver lightweight title.
Interestingly, Mark Chamberlain is reportedly the favorite fighter of His Excellency Turki Al-Sheikh. In fact, the Portsmouth, England native was added to the Anthony Joshua - Francis Ngannou undercard at specific request of His Excellency. This came as a surprise to everyone, including Frank Warren, his promoter.
Robin Sirawn Safar wins by UD
The judges saw it as:
97-92
99-90
95-94
all for Robin Safar. That last card surprises me in that it was close. I liked some of the work that Kovalev did, but for me he did not win any round at all.
That was sad to watch. Kovalev was the shadow of his former self. A man who was once the most feared man in the game. He was comprehensively beaten by a man who he would have destroyed in his prime.
There is no doubt that Safar won the fight, winning every round on my card. But the Sergey Kovalev of ten or fifteen years ago would have wiped the floor with his opponent.
The final round and both fighters know it. Kovalev throws those multiple jabs, landing shots but Safar is still landing heavy hurtful hands. WIth 30 seconds to go they get onto the ropes and Kovalev lands a nice combination before Safar lands a huge right hand and Kovalev goes down hard! He manages to get up and beat the count, but the bell signals the end of the fight.
Both fighters look as if they are trying to go through the gears a bit in the ninth and Safar has the strength to back it up. Kovalev is tapping but not anything heavy. Safar is landing more spiteful, hurtful shots and could perhaps get the stoppage if he would just keep at it. As it stands, both fighters see the bell.
Safar lands a nice right hand to snap Kovalev's head back as the round gets going, and while the round settles later into a familiar rhythm of grapple, jab and move, Kovalev scores a few nice shots but is ultimately in no shape to do any damage to Safar.
Kovalev is finding success here, but his shots are slower and more sluggish than you would expect of the Krusher. Safar is trying to get in close and make Kovalev feel the heavier weight of the cruiserweight level.
Both fighters a chipping away at their man, but it is somehow surprising that Safar hasn't pressed Kovalev harder. Coming off a great fourth round, he did very little in round five and has done not much here in round six. Kovalev isn't taking advantage of it, but as the older man, that is not surprising. Both fighters are breathing hard and look to be tired here.
Kovalev looks to be on the back foot here, jabbing cautiously, not letting his hands go. Safar tees up his shots with a double jab to the midriff, followed by a great right hand.
The round was just a war of attrition for a couple of minutes as the two fighters grapple and soften up the body, with the big moment coming at a minute to go when Safar lands a big right hand. Kovalev wears it well, but he looks to be in a little trouble here.
Kovalev is trying to land a few shots to the body now, trying to slow his opponent some but Safar is throwing booming shots with his heavy right hands. Kovalev is showing redness on the ribs and Safar's face is starting to swell, so both of these men are landing heavy blows, but Kovalev is coming off the worse of the two as Safar lands a heavy right hand to the mid section.
Safar is stepping on the gas a little now, coming forward and laying a few punches on the older man, Kovalev looks to be a little slow, not yet finding the timing that he once had. His jab is still beautiful, but he is catching too many shots on the chin from Safar.
Kovalev comes out with that classic jab but Safar is not cowed, pushing in close and both men are getting shots in as they are tied up. Kovalev looks as good as ever but Safar is staying on the front foot, letting the legend know that he doesn't fear him at all.
Sergey Kovalev vs. Robin Sirawn Safar [Cruiserweight]
For only the second time since that huge loss to Canelo back in 2019, Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev returns to the ring, taking on Sweden's Robin Sirawn Safar at Cruiserweight. This is a fight to see!
Krusher Kovalev is a three time world champion at light heavy and at one time the most feared man in boxing, but he is older now, inactive for the better part of five years. Can he find that little bit of what made him a champion left in him?
David Nyika wins by KO
Seitz is slower than before, looking for all the world like he has left everything in the ring over the first three rounds. Nyika is chipping away, trying to get inside and land an uppercut, but it is a decisive left hook that ended the fight. He landed a huge left and then followed it up with a right on the top of the head and referee Howard Foster called it off.
Nyika comes out using his long wingspan to keep Seitz outside a bit more, jabbing that paw out and holding Seitz at a distance. A left hook from the German catches Nyika flush and a right hand follows it, really great work by Seitz.
Nyika begins to land some combinations and Seitz is really looking puffed here.
Seitz opens the round by charging forward and pushing Nyika onto the ropes and lands a heavy right hand to get things started. Nyika is turning the charges against his opponent, landing counter shots but Seitz is getting that right hand in there repeatedly. Both probe each other and by the end of the round, Seitz is showing signs of being perhaps tired from all of the exertion.
Both men come out in the orthodox stance, although Nyika is more squared up, looking like a switch hitter. Nyika is the taller of the two, with the longer reach, so Seitz will have some work to do to cut that distance down.
Nyika is mobile, staying on the move as Seitz chases him around the ring. They come together and Seitz does some good work on the inside, landing with both hands and sneaking an uppercut in there.
As the round comes to a close, Seitz lands a big right hand.
David Nyika vs. Michael Seitz [vacant IBF International Cruiserweight title]
We move to the main card now and our first bout sees New Zealand's David Nyika take on Germany's Michael Seitz for the vacant IBF International Cruiserweight title.
This is the first time that either of these two fighters have fought outside of their respective countries.
If you caught the weigh-in of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, you would certainly have seen the moment when Usyk’s weight was announced as 233lbs. It was a moment that puzzled many as that would in fact be a career-high for the Ukrainian and more than 12lbs heavier than he was when he fought Anthony Joshua. Yet, as things stand, that’s actually not true.
Our own Paul Rudder breaks it all down for you right here.
Saturday night’s fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk is set to be epic, but who’s preparing “The Gypsy King” for this heavyweight bout? Our own Calum Roche takes a look at SugarHill right here.
Preliminary match results
Isaac Lowe vs. Hasibullah Ahmadi [Featherweight]
The event gets underway with a wonderful fight between Britain’s Isaac Lowe and Afghanistan’s Hasibullah Ahmadi who were evenly matched and both had success in nearly every round. A clash of heads cut Ahmadi in the third round, but he stayed on the front foot and kept the fight close. Ultimately, Ahmadi was overmatched and Lowe managed to send him to the canvas in the eighth. Ahmadi survived it but was broken after that and just survived to the end. Isaac Lowe moved to 25-2-3 with a 97-92 win.
Daniel Lapin vs. Octavio Pudivitr [vacant WBA Intercontinental light heavyweight title]
The second bout of the evening saw Ukraine’s Daniel Lapin destroy Portugal’s Octavio Pudivitr within a minute. It was a strange ending as Pudivitr looked to have something wrong with his eye and took a knee, when Lapin continued to punch him while he was down. The referee put a stop to it and Pudivitr did not want to continue. With that Lapin becomes the WBA Intercontinental light heavyweight champion.
This fight was meant ot take place in February but had to be postponed after Tyson Fury sustained a cut in training. Our own Svetozar Pavlović brings you all the lowdown right here.
We have joined the action live in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh and will be bringing you updates as the early preliminary action unfolds. In the meantime, we will keep you up to date with everything that surrounds the main event and help you stay on top of any developments.
When the dust settles on Saturday’s historic Ring of Fire event, a new milestone will have been reached in heavyweight boxing.
There is no title in any sport in the world that matches the heavyweight boxing champion. Not the World Cup, not the Super Bowl, not the Ashes or the Stanley Cup. None. Boxing’s heavyweight world champion is the king of all prizewinners. They stand alone.
Read the whole article here
The Ring of Fire in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will see all of the world heavyweight boxing titles on the line for the first time this century. Tyson Fury is the WBC world heavyweight champion, a title that he has held since 2020. Oleksandr Usyk is the WBA, WBO, and IBF world heavyweight champion. The winner of this fight will be the undisputed heavyweight king, the first time that that has happened in the four belt era. When Lennox Lewis did it, there was no WBO belt in the mix.
Read the whole article here
The Full Card
Main Card
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk [IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight titles]
Jai Opetaia vs. Mairis Briedis [vacant IBF cruiserweight title]
Joe Cordina* vs. Anthony Cacace [IBF and IBO super featherweight titles]
Frank Sanchez vs. Agit Kabayel [WBC heavyweight eliminator]
Moses Itauma vs. Ilija Mezencev [vacant WBO Intercontinental heavyweight title]
Mark Chamberlain vs. Joshua Wahab [vacant WBC silver lightweight title]
Sergey Kovalev vs. Robin Sirawn Safar [Cruiserweight]
David Nyika vs. Michael Seitz [vacant IBF International Cruiserweight title]
Prelims
Daniel Lapin vs. Octavio Pudivitr [vacant WBA Intercontinental light heavyweight title]
Isaac Lowe vs. Hasibullah Ahmadi [Featherweight]
The main undercard is set to get underway at 2pm ET / 11am PT.
Tale of the tape
Tyson Fury
Age: 35
Country: United Kingdom
Height: 6ft 9in
Reach: 85”
Record: 34-0-1
Oleksandr Usyk
Age: 37
Country: Ukraine
Height: 6ft 3in
Reach: 78”
Record: 21-0-0
WELCOME!!!
Welcome to Diario AS USA’s live coverage of the Ring of Fire as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk clash for the undisputed heavyweight championship in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It is no hyperbole to say that this is the fight of the century. For the first time in the 21st century, and the first time in the four belt era, we have a heavyweight bout where all of the titles are on the line. Winner take all.
The heavyweight boxing world champion is on another level to all other champions. They are the king of kings, standing, no towering above winners of the Ballon d’Or, the World Cup, the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the Stanley Cup, in fact any accolade that you can imagine. Even in boxing. There are undisputed champions in other divisions. Canelo Álvarez is one. Usyk in fact was undisputed at cruiserweight. But none of that means anything when you put it next to the heavyweight champion.
This fight is so difficult to predict. Fury is so much bigger than any other fighter, it is difficult to imagine a smaller man beating him. But then you have Usyk, who is so much more skilful than any other heavyweight that you can’t imagine him losing.
The build up has been insane, fluctuating between quiet respect shown by each camp to headbutts and shoving each other at the weigh in.
Beyond the main event, the card is filled with title fights, including an extremely tasty bout for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title between Jai Opetaia and Mairis Briedis. Further down the card, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev is back in the ring for only the second time since his brutal loss to Canelo back in 2019 as he faces Sweden’s Robin Sirawn Safar at light heavy.