Oleksandr Usyk got the better of Tyson Fury across 12 rounds of boxing on Saturday, but he didn’t leave unscathed. The first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era was taken to the hospital after the fight to examine a broken jaw.
Usyk was noticeably absent from his scheduled post-fight media scrum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Promoter Frank Warren informed the media that Usyk was rushed to the hospital after breaking his jaw at some point during the fight. It was a surprising announcement considering Usyk landed the harder blows, particularly in Round 9 when he swarmed Fury for the fight’s lone knockdown.
The first undisputed heavyweight title fight in a quarter century lived up to the occasion. The first few rounds were competitive before Fury took control of the middle frames with laser-accurate punches that hurt Usyk. The Ukrainian fighter turned the tide in Round 7 and then took control with a knockdown in Round 9 where he nearly finished the previously unbeaten champion. Usyk ultimately won a thrilling split decision with scorecards reading 115-112, 113-114 and 114-113.
Fury promised to activate his contractually mandated rematch, something that Usyk welcomes. There is no confirmed date for Usyk vs. Fury 2, but Saudi Arabia’s chairman of general entertainment authority Turki Alalshikh had previously eyeballed October 2024 as a potential option.
