Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury once again to retain the unified world heavyweight titles on Saturday night.
The heavyweight greats clashed for the second time following their first fight back in May, which went in favour of the Ukrainian hero who picked up a split decision victory at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
And at the second time of asking, Usyk was able to overcome the ‘Gypsy King’ once again, getting the nod on all three of the judges scorecards, which read 116-112 in favour of the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. It was an extremely cagey affair once again, that could have gone in favour of either man.
The immediate reaction to the judges cards was mixed, with some believing that Usyk deserved the win, and others feeling that Fury had done enough to get the win as well as his revenge.
The future of the 36-year-old Brit now hangs in the balance, with many left wondering if he will retire from the sport, or whether he will fight on and potentially target an all-British showdown with former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
One man who has commented on Fury’s future is heavyweight legend Evander Holyfield, who, on a social media post, summed up his performance as a ‘great job’ and encouraged ‘The Gypsy King’ to come back.
“Tyson Fury, great job! Man, I know you’ll get back. Spend some time with your family man.”
The 36-year-old is expected to make a decision on his career in early 2025. The same goes for Usyk, who is reportedly weighing up a possible move back down to cruiserweight to face Jai Opetaia or Gilberto Ramirez.
