Usyk Beats Fury Again, Keeps Three Belts Intact

Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury by unanimous decision over twelve rounds at Riyadh's Kingdom Arena on Saturday night, with all three judges scoring the fight 116-112. It was the 23rd win of his professional career and he remains undefeated. Fury's record now stands at 34-2-1, with both of his defeats coming at Usyk's hands. In the first meeting between the two in the same city seven months earlier, Usyk had won on a split decision with all four major belts on the line. The IBF subsequently vacated its title, so only the WBA, WBC and WBO belts were at stake this time. But the stakes outside the ring were bigger: the question was whether May's victory had been a fluke or a lasting edge over Fury. For the first three rounds Fury used the same approach he had adopted in the first fight - his height, the jab and heavy shots to the body. He tried to keep his distance and landed a few solid short rights. But Usyk set the tempo from the opening bell. He walked forward constantly, slipped punches by moving his head and kept firing left hooks to Fury's body. It was already clear early on that the British fighter would have to retreat repeatedly to preserve his range. The fourth and fifth rounds clarified the direction of the fight. Usyk raised his pace and neutralised Fury's jab. Fury's punches were landing on air, and whenever he stepped in to unload a heavy shot, Usyk would step back and counter immediately. In the sixth, a left hook from Usyk caught Fury on the jaw and the British boxer wobbled for a few seconds. That was the moment when the 38-year-old Fury's decline in speed first became obvious. From the seventh to the ninth, Fury tried to claw his way back. He clinched, landed to the body and even took a few rounds. In the eighth, a right cross landed on Usyk's head and lifted the crowd's hopes. But Usyk's stamina and rhythm stayed constant. He kept hitting Fury's body every three or four seconds, which left Fury short of breath and heavy on his feet. Across a twelve-round fight, that difference proved decisive. The rounds after the ninth tell the clearest story. In the tenth, Usyk landed three consecutive hooks and pushed Fury towards the ropes. In the eleventh and twelfth, Fury was largely in survival mode - clinching and trying to protect his body. In the final round Usyk changed gear once more and chose to close the fight in controlled fashion rather than open it up. When the last bell rang, most of the arena already knew the result. Technically this was a statement performance from Usyk. His footwork was even better than in the first fight and his head was constantly moving, which made Fury's jab keep losing its target. Usyk worked with set-up punches - first to the body, then to the head. That two-level attack was a constant problem for Fury. He treated the fight like a boxing lesson: against a bigger body, speed, angles and patience are the greatest weapons. Fury's problem was not only age. His presence in the ring was no longer as imposing and his heavy shots arrived late, while his legs began to abandon him from the middle rounds. The distance-management strategy that had worked against Deontay Wilder in 2026 failed against a moving target. Once Usyk got inside, Fury had no answer. As for the historical significance: Usyk still holds three belts and appears less concerned with his legacy than with his next fight. He is the first boxer to have won all the belts at cruiserweight and then gone on to claim the major belts at heavyweight. Two wins over Fury - one on a split decision, one unanimous - end the debate over whether his success was luck. Meanwhile, the full heavyweight picture is not yet settled. The fourth belt - the IBF - belongs to Daniel Dubois, and a fight with Usyk would now be a full unification bout. Both camps have already expressed interest. Anthony Joshua is also in the frame, having repeatedly said he wants a major fight with Fury. If those fights are made and Saudi Arabia keeps hosting, this triangular rivalry could keep the heavyweight division alive for the next two years. For Fury, this defeat opens a series of questions. After two losses, both to Usyk, he has limited time to prove he still belongs at the top. Given his age of 36, his weight and the long fights behind him, retirement talk may intensify, though he has given no such indication himself. There is another dimension to this win - what it means for Ukraine. Usyk has repeatedly highlighted his country's situation throughout his career, and he linked this victory to the larger fight outside the ring. For his fans, this is not merely a sporting result. Overall, the night in Riyadh clarified the map of heavyweight boxing. Fury is a great fighter, but Usyk is currently one step ahead of him. The question now is not who is the best - it is whether anyone can beat him.