Here’s how SunSport’s Chisanga Malata sees the fight unfolding as Oleksandr Usyk is declared the undisputed king of the world against Tyson Fury.
round 1
Both players want to come to the center of the ring and establish their dominance quickly.
Fury attacked the Ukrainian, who started with a hard body shot.
The Gypsy King looks much bigger than Usyk, who is by no means a dwarf.
Usyk is happy to operate on the outside, although the initial setback may have given him some thought.
Fury is trying to block the attacks of Usyk, who isn’t putting much force into his punches.
Fury is backed into a corner and he ropes-a-dope and reveals his inner Muhammad Ali.
Usyk lands a big overhand left just seconds before pushing Fury into the corner.
Fury avoids the stampede and gestures to the crowd as if demanding they acknowledge his head movement. USYK 10-9
Round 2
Usyk started the round with a big one-two that snapped Fury’s head back.
Fury tried to play it off, but that combination clearly stunned him.
As Usyk moves forward, he is applying pressure and consolidating position.
A big uppercut narrowly misses for Fury, who knows full well that this is the shot to use on a smaller opponent.
Fury is landing more punches, but not as accurate as Usyk.
Usyk pushes Fury into the corner and lands a nice three-punch combo.
But Fury comes back with a hard body shot after running away from danger.
Fury finally lands an uppercut, although it hits the body of the former cruiserweight king. Fury 10-9
Round 3
Fury is on his bike after the restart and lands a hard straight right from range.
Usyk decides to close the distance after eating that shot and he’s going to work on Fury’s trimmed torso.
A solid overhand left snapped Fury’s head back with just over a minute left in the round.
With thirty seconds left, Fury landed a nice combo. But he was pushed back into the ring and had to take another shove before the bell rang. USYK 10-9
Round 4
Fury landed two hard blows to the body after the restart.
He’s loving it, he’s dancing after taking the shot.
But he’s still holding himself back and inviting pressure from Usyk.
As Usyk comes forward, Fury lands a beautiful counter.
Usyk’s head snaps back from another vicious uppercut.
Both men traded hard back hands before the bell, with Fury narrowly missing an uppercut and Usyk an overhand left. Fury 10-9
Round 5
After the restart, Usyk moves to the center of the ring and tries to trick his way into range.
Fury is doing a good job of keeping the Ukrainian at bay as he tries to close the distance.
A sharp uppercut snaps Usyk’s head back.
Fury continues to hurt Usyk with hooks to the body. Fury 10-9
Round 6
Usyk is straight to the front after the restart and looks to push Fury back again.
A hard hit to the body, to the solar plexus, gives Usyk more food for thought.
Fury nearly ended the show with a huge uppercut with a minute and a half left in the round.
But 20 seconds later he finds a spot and Usyk is in position to retreat.
Fury ended the round with some showmanship, putting his hands behind his back and then resting his arms on the ropes.
A big round for the Wythenshawe warrior. Fury 10-9
Round 7
Usyk closes the distance again after the restart, but is caught within striking distance.
And when he takes a step back, his body is attacked with dangerous hooks.
Usyk finds a home for his straight left hand but Fury eats it up like a packed lunch made by his lovely wife Paris.
Another straight left shot lands on the head of Fury, who moves out of range trying to create space for a body shot.
Usyk manages to close the distance with seconds left and finds space for a two-punch combo.
But Fury manages to get away just enough to hear the sound of the bell. Fury 10-9
Round 8
Fury happy to stay on the back foot and pick his shots in the eighth over.
But he rocks the dome of his head with two straight left hands in a row – which he ducks away from before he starts to feint and try to create space for a body blow.
Usyk found himself struggling against Fury’s weight in the clinch after landing a good straight left punch.
Fury’s nose is bleeding a lot. I’m not the one who caused the damage. This is a big deal for Usyk. USYK 10-9
Round 9
Fury has done a good job of staking out Usyk, but the Ukrainian keeps coming forward.
But he is slowly but surely allowing the gap to close, which leads to him eating a big left-handed flush in the corner.
Fury suffered an injury and was seen limping around the ring. The injury was to his left hand.
Fury doesn’t know where he is and he keeps eating sharp follow-up shots. He beats the count and thankfully the bell saves him. USYK 10-8
Round 10
Usyk – like the Big Cat he is – feels the blood and gives Fury no respite.
Fury is barely throwing anything, and what he is throwing is slow and precise.
Usyk looks tired, but he needs to keep his foot on the gas pedal if he wants any chance of becoming the undisputed two-weight champion. USYK 10-9
Round 11
A despondent Usyk, inspired by seeing the plight of Ukrainians in his home country, gets to work immediately after the restart.
Fury tried to keep him at bay with the jab, but struggled to get it out due to the stiffness he was feeling in the early rounds.
Usyk traps the WBC king in the corner and lands a powerful left hand.
Usyk landed a double left hand that sent Fury backing into the ropes for a bit.
The round ends with another big overhand from Usyk. USYK 10-9
Round 12
Fans in attendance at the Kingdom Arena cheer on both fighters after the final restart of the fight.
Fury is playing matador while Usyk is trying to move forward to land his left hand.
And he finds a spot for it with about a minute and a half left in the verse.
A biting right hand knocks Fury back, but he counters with a booking shot of his own, which knocks the southpaw back.
Fury put his hands behind his back in the final seconds to prevent Usyk from making a mistake.
But he keeps up the sharpness to close the distance, at which point Fury takes his time initiating a clinch. Fury 10-9
Total Fury 113 Usyk 114
