Oleksandr Usyk kept his heavyweight titles in a close battle against Tyson Fury. The judges scored it 116-112 for Usyk on all three cards, but not everyone agreed with that wide margin.
Tony Bellew, former cruiserweight champion, shared his thoughts on the fight as it unfolded. He saw it much closer than the official scores.
Usyk round.. I have him ahead 6-5 after 11 rounds.. There are some close rounds but I can't see how he is losing this as he's pressing the fight and outlanding Tyson Fury! It's all up for grabs here! A knockdown wins this for Fury.
Bellew posted this on X (formerly Twitter) just before the final round. He felt Usyk was more active, pushing forward and landing more punches. But he also noted how close some rounds were and that a knockdown could've swung things Fury's way.
After the fight ended, Bellew couldn't pick a clear winner in the last round. He scored it 115-114 for Usyk overall.
Great last round and I couldn't separate them! Brilliant chess match.. I've got Usyk but no one can complain either way tbh! This isn't a robbery either way! Both fought their hearts out here! I just feel Usyk done enough and outlanded and pressed the fight.
While Bellew thought the official scores were too wide, he understood why the judges might've leaned that way. Usyk's constant pressure and higher workrate likely impressed them.
Fury didn't take the loss well. He was furious with the decision, believing he'd done enough to win. Still, Bellew praised Fury as a warrior who deserves respect for taking the rematch.
This fight followed their close battle back in May. Even Anthony Joshua chimed in with his own scorecard, seeing a narrow winner.
With the win, Usyk keeps his WBC, WBA, and WBO heavyweight titles. The boxing world will be eager to see what's next for both fighters after this intense rivalry.
