Tyson Fury’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk didn’t go as planned, resulting in a defeat for the Gypsy King. Fury, who weighed in at a career-high 20stones 1lbs, was on a mission to avenge his only professional loss.

Usyk claimed victory for the second time, with all three judges ringside scoring the bout 116-112 in his favor. In a boxing first, the bout was also scored by an AI judge, under the guidance of Turki Alalshikh, and it rated the fight even more decisively in favor of Usyk with a 118-112 outcome.

Despite protests from Usyk’s camp about his beard, Fury entered the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh with it fully intact. From the get-go, Fury took control of the ring, showing more determination than in their previous bout.

However, by the second round, he found himself being pursued around the ring by Usyk – a recurring theme from their first fight. As the match neared its midpoint, it was neck and neck, with Fury staggering the Ukrainian with a short left uppercut and asserting his size and power in the fifth round.

Unlike their initial meeting, there was no showboating from the Brit this time around. Usyk mounted a comeback in the sixth round, landing several blows on Fury, and proceeded to dominate the next two rounds. Fury’s coach, Sugarhull Steward, was heard beseeching him to ramp up the aggression and to push forward.

According to TNT Sport commentators Richie Woodall and Carl Frampton, Fury seemed to reclaim some ground in the ninth round. However, as the fight neared its conclusion, Steward cautioned Fury about the close nature of the match, exclaiming “the fight’s too ——- close. There’s no tomorrow. You’ve got to go and take it!”.

Fury was beaten for the second time by Usyk

Fury was beaten for the second time by Usyk ( 

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Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

At the end, both fighters had seemingly different reactions; Fury confidently raised his arm while Usyk looked to the sky in silent prayer before receiving a congratulatory kiss from Fury. Despite the gestures, it was Usyk who emerged victorious with unanimous 116-112 scores from the judges.

In response to the final tallies, Usyk remarked confidently: “I win. I’m perfect.”

Reflecting on his opponent, after being promptly challenged by Daniel Dubois post-fight, he expressed gratitude, saying: “Tyson is a great fighter. A great opponent. Unbelievable 24 rounds for my career. Thank you so much.”