In a thriller of a heavyweight bout, Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk thumped Tyson Fury and united the world heavyweight titles becoming the sport’s undisputed champion since the great Lennox Lewis. The 12-round fight was indeed a blockbuster as millions of fans both in Saudi and around the world were stunned to see the two going toe to toe. Interestingly, one name that stands out in the list of impressed fans is that of former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier!
Cormier was seen ecstatic on his YouTube channel while dissecting the fight in his latest video. The UFC veteran had a lot on his mind and he lauded the sport and the fighters for giving the community one heck of a performance, saying,
“Just an amazing fight. This is what heavyweight boxing should be you know guys a lot of times we are quick sh*t on boxing for the matchmaking, for the judging, for the fighting but ultimately when boxing is done right and when the right people are in that ring and when the right people show up and fight the way that they do you get a fight like we got this afternoon and when that happens, still one of the greatest sports in the world. There is nothing like it.”
DC even dismissed casual MMA fans who denounced boxing, putting them in place and praising the sport for what it is. While the fandom is now accustomed to gimmick fights like the upcoming Tyson vs Paul bout, a heavyweight matchup between two champions for the undisputed title was what the sport of boxing needed to enthrall the community. And make no mistake about it, Fury’s in-ring theatrics and Usyk’s calculated boxing got the 20,000-strong crowd on their feet once they got to the main event.
Usyk dethrone Tyson Fury and becomes the undisputed champion
The stakes couldn’t be higher than this – two undefeated champions fighting for the undisputed title in the heavyweight division in front of a sold-out crowd in Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Arena. Even in the biggest fight of his career, the Brit was being himself, showboating, bouncing on the feet, and peppering the Ukranian with crisp jabs to open the round.
Though Usyk caught ‘The Gypsy King’ with a looping left hook in the opening rounds, Fury just shrugged it off and talked some smack urging the Ukranian to keep it coming. The height difference between the two was also a daunting challenge for the former cruiserweight champion but he quickly found his rhythm and took the fight to Fury.
Fury on the other did not genuflect to Usyk’s pace and stood his ground with calculated body shots and uppercuts. One such uppercut in round 6 made the Ukranian back and cover up but he kept his calm and endured the storm. The scene quickly changed in R9 when Usyk found Fury’s chin and knocked him down. The referee awarded Usyk the knockdown as the round came to an end.
Pumped up, Usyk continued the barrage following the R9 knockdown trying to end the bout while Fury barely managed to hold on. And once the bell rang after the 12th round all eyes were on Michael Buffer who announced the scorecards – The first: 115-112 for Usyk. The second: 114-113 for Fury. The third: 114-113 … for Oleksandr Usyk!
