Oleksandr Usyk produced a boxing masterclass to dethrone Tyson Fury and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
The Ukrainian edged the bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 115-112, 113-114, 114-113 on the cards following a decisive knockdown in the ninth round.
Fury started the fight aggressively, but Usyk weathered the storm and began to take control of the fight in the middle rounds.
Usyk’s superior footwork and speed allowed him to land clean punches from all angles, while Fury struggled to find his range.
As the fight wore on, Fury’s frustration grew. He began to swing wildly and was caught by several of Usyk’s counterpunches.
Usyk also used his superior grappling skills to control Fury in the clinch.
It meant Fury, 35, lost for the first time in a 16-year professional career. He will get an immediate opportunity for revenge with a rematch planned for later this year.
Usyk takes the WBC belt from Fury, to add to his WBA, WBO and IBF collection.
The 37-year-old remains unbeaten and is the first boxer in almost 25 years to stand tall as the sport’s sole heavyweight world champion.
Usyk is now the first boxer to hold all four major heavyweight titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) since Lennox Lewis in 2000.
