Tag: oleksandr usyk

Oleksandr Usyk def. Tyson Fury at Ring of Fire: Best photos

Check out these photos from Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, a heavyweight championship boxing bout which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag]’s split decision victory over Tyson Fury at Ring of Fire, which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos by Richard Pelham and Fayez Nureldine, Getty Images)

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk: LIVE round-by-round updates, results, full coverage

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk: LIVE round-by-round updates, results, full coverage.

Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by a split decision to win the undisputed heavyweight championship Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

One judge had Fury winning, 114-113, but the other two scored it for Usyk, 115-112 and 114-113.

The difference was a standing knockdown, the result of a huge left hand and follow-up flurry, in Round 9 which was a 10-8 round for Usyk.

You can read a full report here.

ROUND 12

Good, competitive final round, as both men had good moments. Usyk probably took the round, though. He dictated the pace, was the busier fighter and landed more eye-catching punches. That’s what he did in the second half of the fight, which could be enough to have his hand raised.

ROUND 11

Competitive round but Usyk is landing the cleaner shots. He might’ve won the fight in the past several rounds. One more round.

ROUND 10

Usyk probably won the round but he also might’ve blown a big opportunity by not attacking Fury aggressively after hurting him so badly in the previous round. Fury seems to have recovered and was actually competitive in that round.

ROUND 9

Wow! Huge left from Usyk in the final seconds hurt Fury badly. And he followed with a barrage of follow-up power shots, which resulted in a knockdown while Fury was still on his feet. It’s unbelievable that Fury never actually went down.

ROUND 8

Usyk is definitely back in the fight. He outworked Fury that round, including the biggest punches of the round. Now Fury seems to be a little off kilter, which is remarkable given his domination of the previous rounds. Usyk is special.

ROUND 7

Fury took his foot off the gas that round, which opened the door for Usyk to get some good work done. The Ukrainian is still attacking. And he landed a few eye-catching shots, which got Fury’s attention and gave Usyk some confidence. Fury landed a few hard shots himself.

ROUND 6

All Fury, who is in complete control. He is landing almost at will against a brilliant boxer, connecting on a number of bombs to both the head and body. Usyk can’t figure out how to get out of the way or land his own shots. Usyk looks lost.

ROUND 5

Big round for Fury. He absolutely pounded Usyk to the body, which seemed to take something out of him. He wasn’t quite as aggressive, wasn’t quite as confident. Fury is working beautiful behind his jab. Has he taken control of the fight?

ROUND 4

Good back and forth action, as both men are having their good moments. However, it seems clear that Fury is landing the hardest punches. He certainly got Usyk’s attention a few times. Fury is clowning a lot but he’s also doing good work.

ROUND 3

Another competitive round. Usyk continues to take the fight to Fury but he really isn’t getting much done. Meanwhile, Fury continues to jab and he landed the biggest shot of the round, a right hand in the final 30 seconds. Is Fury finding his groove?

ROUND 2

Good, competitive round. Usyk started well, landing a hard left seconds after the bell. And he was the aggressor most of the round. Fury continued to jab, however/ And he landed some accurate power shots in the final minute.

ROUND 1

The opening round was a jab fest, with both men targeting mostly the body. Neither man threw many power shots, although Usyk landing a wide left. That was essentially a feel-out round.

***

Jai Opetaia of Australia survived a late rally to defeat Mairis Briedis by a one-sided decision and reclaim his IBF cruiserweight title in a rematch of their June 2022 fight, which Opetaia won by decision to win his belt originally.

The official scores were 117-111, 116-112 and 116-112.

For nine-plus rounds Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) methodically outboxed and outworked his rival, who hadn’t fought since their first meeting. Briedis (28-3, 20 KOs) was resilient — taking everything the champ threw at him — but he couldn’t keep pace with his talented 28-year-old opponent and took many punishing blows.

However, the tide turned in Round 10 .Briedis stunned Opetaia with a perfect right uppercut in that frame and continued to take the fight to Opetaia in the final two words, breaking Opetaia’s nose and landing a number of eye-catching shots.

The problem for Briedis was that he had given away too many rounds to catch Opetaia on the cards.

Opetaia was forced to vacate his title in December when he fought Ellis Zorro instead of Briedis, who was his mandatory challenger at that time.

***

Anthony Cacace of Northern Ireland knocked out Joe Cordina of Wales in the eighth round to take Cordina’s 1BF 130-pound title, the first of the Irishman’s career. The official time of the stoppage was :39.

Cacace (22-1, 8 KOs) pounded Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs) most of the fight. However, the turning point came in Round 3. Cacace rocked Cordina with left hook after referee Bob Williams instructed the boxers to stop fighting, which was a controversial moment. The Irishman connected on another hook moments later and then used a right uppercut followed by a another right to put Cordina down and hurt him.

Cacace dominated after that, landing big shots almost at will. He finally ended matters when he connected on a hard right and followed with a flurry of blows, which convinced Williams to stop the fight.

Cacace, 35, has won seven consecutive fights since Martin Ward outpointd him in 2017.

Cordina was making the third defense of the title he won by stopping Kenichi Ogawa in the second round in June 2022.

***

Agit Kabayel of Germany stopped fellow contender Frank Sanchez of Cuba in the seventh round of a scheduled 12-round heavyweight fight. The official time of the stoppage was 2:33.

Kabayel (25-0, 17 KOs) put Sanchez (24-1, 17 KOs) down twice in the final round, both times the result of body shots.

Sanchez fought with a brace on his right knee.

***

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are scheduled to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship on DAZN Pay-Per-View Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) owns the WBC belt while Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) is the IBF, WBA and WBO champ.

Fury on Friday weighed in at 262 pounds, his lightest since he came in at 254½ for his fight against Otto Wallin in 2019. Usyk weighed a career-high 223½.

Also on the card:

  • Jai Opetaia vs. Mairis Breidis, cuiserweights (for vacant IBF title)
  • Joe Cordina vs. Anthony Cacace junior lightweights (for Cordina’s IBF title)
  • Sergey Kovalev vs. Robin Safar, cruiserweights
  • Agit Kabayel vs. Frank Sanchez, heavyweights
  • Mark Chamberlain vs. Joshua Wahab, lightweights

The featured portion of the show is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. (main event later in the show).

Boxing Junkie will post round-by-round analysis of the main event and results of the featured bouts, as well as a brief summary, immediately after the fights end. Simply return to this post and refresh when the time comes.

Full coverage – detailed fight stories, analysis and more – will follow on separate posts the night of the card and the following day.

Enjoy the fights!

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Photos: Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs

Check out these photos from the weigh-ins for Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Check out these photos from the weigh-ins ahead of the heavyweight boxing clash between [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] and [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag], which takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos by Mikey Williams/Top Rank, Richard Pelham/Getty Images, Fayez Nureldine/Getty Images)

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk undisputed title fight is ‘something very, very significant’

Whether it’s Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, the winner of their undisputed title fight could be considered the best heavyweight of this era.

We don’t know whether we’re going to see an entertaining fight between [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] and [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag] on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (DAZN Pay-Per-View).

We don’t know which Fury will show up, the one who has been dominating over the past decade or the one who fell flat against Francis Ngannou in his most recent bout. And we don’t know whether the skillful Usyk can compensate for his size disadvantage against his 6-foot-9 opponent.

The one thing we DO know? This is big.

An undisputed heavyweight champion will be crowned for the first time – barring unforeseen circumstances since Lennox Lewis defeated fellow Hall of Famer Evander Holyfield in 1999, a quarter century ago. The winner could be considered the best of his era.

And Fury and Usyk certainly have earned the right to fight for boxing’s biggest prize, as neither man has lost a single fight. Usyk’s record is perfect (21-0, 14 KOs). Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) has one draw.

Bob Arum, Fury’s co-promoter and boxing institution, has been around for many big matchups. He knows one when he sees one.

“In boxing, there’s a saying that the most important division is the heavyweight division,” he said at the final news conference Thursday. “When we have the opportunity to have an undisputed heavyweight champion crowned, as we will Saturday night, it is something very, very significant.

“The last fighter to be crowned the undisputed champion is sitting out in the audience. It happened 25 years ago. Lennox Lewis became the undisputed heavyweight champion. Saturday night will be a very, very important night for boxing because not only will we be crowning the undisputed heavyweight champion, but the two participants in the fight have never, ever lost a fight. Now, how rare is that?”

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – MAY 16: Tyson Fury reacts alongside Oleksandr Usyk ahead of the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO Undisputed World Heavyweight Title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk at BLVD City – Music World on May 16, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Fury almost lost in his last fight, a split decision over the MMA star-turned-boxer on Oct. 28. He had to get up from a third-round knockdown to have his hand raised, which set up the opportunity against Usyk.

He clearly understands the magnitude of the event. And he made it clear that he’s better prepared for this challenge than the one in October.

“I’m on top of the world, baby!” he said earlier in the week. “Who wouldn’t be enjoying it? I’m in the great Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This is the main event. It is the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.”

He added on Thursday: ““I’m ready. I’ve got nothing to say apart from I’m ready for a good fight. And if it’s tough or easy, either way, I’ll be ready.”

Usyk, a gifted technician from Ukraine, is trying to become undisputed champion in a second division. The 2012 Olympic champion ruled the 200-pound weight class from 2016 to 2019 before moving up to heavyweight, at which he’s 5-0.

He outpointed Anthony Joshua to win three of the four major titles in December 2021 and then defeated Joshua again 11 months later.

He didn’t have much to say at the news conference Thursday but captured the moment with one comment: “Let’s make history.”

[lawrence-related id=2740913,2741428,2741188,2741006,2740823]

Like boxing? Be sure to visit Boxing Junkie for all your coverage of the sweet science and follow @BoxingJunkie2 on Twitter.

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk: This fight is ‘something very, very significant’

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk: This fight is “something very, very significant.”

We don’t know whether we’re going to see an entertaining fight when Tyson Fury fights Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (DAZN Pay-Per-View).

We don’t know which Fury will show up, the one who has been dominating over the past decade or the one who fell flat against Francis Ngannou in his most recent bout. And we don’t know whether the skillful Usyk can compensate for his size disadvantage against his 6-foot-9 opponent.

The one thing we DO know? This is big.

An undisputed heavyweight champion will be crowned for the first time – barring unforeseen circumstances since Lennox Lewis defeated fellow Hall of Famer Evander Holyfield in 1999, a quarter century ago. The winner could be considered the best of his era.

And Fury and Usyk certainly have earned the right to fight for boxing’s biggest prize, as neither man has lost a single fight. Usyk’s record is perfect (21-0, 14 KOs). Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) has one draw.

Bob Arum, Fury’s co-promoter and boxing institution, has been around for many big matchups. He knows one when he sees one.

“In boxing, there’s a saying that the most important division is the heavyweight division,” he said at the final news conference Thursday. “When we have the opportunity to have an undisputed heavyweight champion crowned, as we will Saturday night, it is something very, very significant.

“The last fighter to be crowned the undisputed champion is sitting out in the audience. It happened 25 years ago. Lennox Lewis became the undisputed heavyweight champion. Saturday night will be a very, very important night for boxing because not only will we be crowning the undisputed heavyweight champion, but the two participants in the fight have never, ever lost a fight. Now, how rare is that?”

Fury almost lost in his last fight, a split decision over the MMA star-turned-boxer on Oct. 28. He had to get up from a third-round knockdown to have his hand raised, which set up the opportunity against Usyk.

He clearly understands the magnitude of the event. And he made it clear that he’s better prepared for this challenge than the one in October.

“I’m on top of the world, baby!” he said earlier in the week. “Who wouldn’t be enjoying it? I’m in the great Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This is the main event. It is the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.”

He added on Thursday: ““I’m ready. I’ve got nothing to say apart from I’m ready for a good fight. And if it’s tough or easy, either way, I’ll be ready.”

Usyk, a gifted technician from Ukraine, is trying to become undisputed champion in a second division. The 2012 Olympic champion ruled the 200-pound weight class from 2016 to 2019 before moving up to heavyweight, at which he’s 5-0.

He outpointed Anthony Joshua to win three of the four major titles in December 2021 and then defeated Joshua again 11 months later.

He didn’t have much to say at the news conference Thursday but captured the moment with one comment: “Let’s make history.”

[lawrence-related id=41889,41872,41869,41860,41856,41337,41329]

Photos: Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk pre-fight press conference in Riyadh

Check out these photos from the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk pre-fight press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Check out these photos from the pre-fight press conference ahead of the heavyweight boxing clash between [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] and [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag], which takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos by Mikey Williams/Top Rank, Richard Pelham/Getty Images, Fayez Nureldine/Getty Images)

Today’s sign robots will kill us all: AI makes Fury-Usyk prediction

We’re all doomed. Artificial Intelligence robots have weighed in on Saturday’s Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight with a pick.

There’s been a running joke for years that old people are afraid of robots. And while that’s a classic bit for the sub-AARP set to laugh at, it’s likely we’re all doomed, no matter our ages.

Without question, the Artificial Intelligence robots are going to bring on the end of humankind. Sure, the internet in general, social media influencers, plastic patriots in cheap red chapeaus, slap fighting and the existence of Mtn Dew Baja Blast Fiery Mango Doritos all have been signs we’re headed toward extinction in a hurry.

But when AI robots predicted Saturday’s [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag] heavyweight title unification boxing unification fight in Saudi Arabia, the deal may have been sealed.

(Straight-up vouch for the Mtn Dew Baja Blast Fiery Mango Doritos, though. They’re completely unnecessary, and definitely post-apocalyptic in nature, but they’re also incredible.)

ChatGPT’s prediction, as run by OLBG, is that Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs), who holds the WBC heavyweight title, will beat Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs) by decision to take his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts in Riyadh.

Here’s what the robots said: “Tyson Fury wins by decision, despite the technical skills and stamina of Usyk. This fight promises to be a highly competitive and tactical bout, showcasing the best of heavyweight boxing.”

Fury is just a slight betting favorite in the fight at -110. The comeback on Usyk is +100, making the fight practically a pick’em.

Fury’s resume includes wins over Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder, but has said he thinks Usyk is his toughest test yet.

“I think he’s the best opponent I’ve ever faced … I’ve never fought a two-weight world champion before,” Fury recently said. “I think that puts him at the top of it all. … I think this win puts me at No. 1, barring none. Beating Usyk now puts me No. 1 status of all time.”

But honestly, will it really matter, since when the AI robots come, they certainly won’t make exceptions for boxers?

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Like boxing? Be sure to visit Boxing Junkie for all your coverage of the sweet science and follow @BoxingJunkie2 on Twitter.

Photos: Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk open workouts in Riyadh

Check out these photos from the open workouts for Fury vs. Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Check out these photos from the open workouts ahead of the heavyweight boxing clash between [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] and [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag], which takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos by Mikey Williams/Top Rank, Richard Pelham/Getty Images, Fayez Nureldine/Getty Images)

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk: Date, time, how to watch, background

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are scheduled to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship on pay-per-view Saturday in Saudi Arabia. TYSON FURY (34-0-1, 24 KOs) VS. OLEKSANDR USYK (21-0, 14 KOs) Date : Saturday, May 18 Time : 12 p.m. ET / 9 …

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are scheduled to fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship on pay-per-view Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

TYSON FURY (34-0-1, 24 KOs)
VS. OLEKSANDR USYK (21-0, 14 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, May 18
  • Time: 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • TV/Stream: DAZN Pay-Per-View
  • Division: Heavyweight (no limit)
  • At stake: Usyk’s IBF, WBA, WBO and Fury’s WBC titles
  • Boxing Junkie Pound-for-pound: Usyk No. 3, Fury No. 9
  • Odds: Even (average of multiple outlets)
  • Significance (up to five stars): *****
  • Also on the card: Jai Opetaia vs. Mairis Breidis, cuiserweights (for vacant IBF title); Joe Cordina vs. Anthony Cacace junior lightweights (for Cordina’s IBF title); Sergey Kovalev vs. Robin Safar, cruiserweights; Agit Kabayel vs. Frank Sanchez, heavyweights; Mark Chamberlain vs. Joshua Wahab, lightweights
  • Background: The time is finally at hand. Talk of a Fury-Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship started the moment Usyk defeated Anthony Joshua the first of two times in September 2021. The fight was originally scheduled for Feb. 17 but it was pushed back after Fury suffered a cut during sparring. Fury is coming off arguably the worst performance of his career, a split decision over Francis Ngannou in the MMA star’s boxing debut. Fury battled back from a knockdown in the third round but was fortunate to have his hand raised. He was thought by many to be ill-prepared for the fight, a mistake he will not have made leading up to the fight on Saturday. The 35-year-old from England seems to be in excellent physical condition. Usyk also didn’t give his best effort in his most recent fight, against Daniel Dubois in August. The 37-year-old former 200-pound champion went down from a body shot that was controversially deemed a low blow in the fifth round, which gave him extra time to recover. He rebounded to stop Dubois in the ninth to retain his titles.
  • Prediction: Fury UD

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Tyson Fury: Beating Oleksandr Usyk ‘puts me No. 1 status of all time’ at heavyweight

Tyson Fury believes a win over Oleksandr Usyk puts him in a class all his own at heavyweight.

[autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] believes a win over [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag] puts him in a class all his own at heavyweight.

WBC heavyweight champion Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) meets Usyk (21-0, 14 KOs), who holds the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles, in an undisputed championship fight Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Fury, who’s beaten the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte, and Otto Wallin, sees Usyk as his most formidable opponent to date.

“I think he’s the best opponent I’ve ever faced, because I’ve fought world heavyweight champions before, I’ve fought undefeated people before, I’ve fought Olympic gold medals before, but I’ve never fought a two-weight world champion before,” Fury said in an interview with DAZN. “So, I think that puts him at the top of it all.”

Fury’s most recent showing wasn’t his best. He welcomed former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou to the boxing ring last October and scraped by with a split decision win in a fight he was knocked down. Prior to that, Fury had scored four straight knockout wins over Wilder twice, Whyte, and Derek Chisora.

If he can get past Usyk, “The Gypsy King” believes he should be considered the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.

“I think this win puts me at No. 1, barring none,” Fury said. “Beating Usyk now puts me No. 1 status of all time.”

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