There was plenty of combat action to go around this past weekend for everyone to enjoy.
Bellator Paris saw Patchy Mix retain his Bantamweight title by narrowly defeating Magomed Magomedov, while Cedric Doumbe scored a spectacular knockout win over Jaleel Willis (see it again here). Then, at UFC Vegas 92, Lerone Murphy secured the biggest win of his career by defeating Edson Barboza via unanimous decision, while Khaos Williams obliterated Carlston Harris with a spectacular knockout.
But, the granddaddy of them all was the Heavyweight collision between the top two big men in the world of boxing as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk threw down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to see who would be undisputed king.
And the fight delivered on all fronts (watch highlights).
Fury was coming in undefeated (34-0-1) and the owner of WBC’s Heavyweight title, while Usyk was undefeated (21-0) and the holder of the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring Heavyweight titles.
Usyk is a second-half type of fighter — it takes him a bit to warm up, but when he does, it doesn’t bode well for the opposition. And that’s just what happened this past weekend. Fury enjoyed some success early and seemed to be in control, playing to the crowd, taunting Usyk every time he landed a nice combination.
In fact, Fury thought he had the fight locked up.
However, Once Usyk got past the reach advantage and started to get his rhythm going, Fury started feeling the Ukrainian’s power. Then, in the ninth round, Usyk blasted “Gypsy King” with a massive right hand that had him wobbled. From there, Usyk piled on the damage, following a stumbling Fury all over the ring trying to connect with a finishing blow.
He had to settle for a knockdown.
Fury recovered and ultimately escaped the round, going on to win the next one on two of the judges scorecards. Many argued that the fight should have been stopped, but kudos has to be given to the referee for letting the fight continue since it was a massive one to say the least.
Usyk ultimate scored a split decision win, becoming the first undisputed division champion since 1999 (Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield to get the honorable distinction). Thanks to an instant rematch clause — regardless of who would’ve won — the two men are expected to run it back on Oct. 12, 2024.
But, will the outcome be any different?
Most felt that had it not been for Usyk nearly stopping Fury in the ninth round, the fight would’ve ended up a draw … or maybe even go Fury’s way. In a rematch, anything can happen, especially in a sport where two heavy-handed monsters are connecting blow after blow.
But, now that the two shared 12 grueling rounds in the ring with each other, they know the changes that must be made (and what to keep the same) to prevail. You know the players, how do you think Usyk vs. Fury 2 plays out this fall season?
For complete Fury vs. Usyk results, coverage and highlights click HERE.