The rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury takes place on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.
Usyk won a split decision the first time and became boxing’s first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years. Since then, Usyk gave up the IBF title now held by Daniel Dubois.
So, Usyk's WBC, WBA, and WBO belts will be on the line at Kingdom Arena—the same Riyadh venue that hosted the first meeting in May.
Usyk secured a narrow victory on two scorecards, 115-112 and 114-113. The other judge favoured Fury, 114-113.
Through the first seven rounds, Fury was ahead on each scorecard, but Usyk began to rally. Usyk nearly finished off his 6-foot-9 opponent in the ninth, when he was credited with a knockdown before Fury was saved by the bell.
What’s at stake?
Besides Usyk’s three belts, there are legacies at stake. Usyk is 22-0 and wants to cement his place as one of the greats with a decisive victory.
Fury (34-1-1) wants to avenge his only professional loss. The 36-year-old Englishman is 5-0 in rematches.
There are also tens of millions of dollars on the line as well. The purse is a reported $190 million, though the fighters' cuts are not known.
The paydays could get even bigger if there's a trilogy fight. Fury said this week that if he wins, he'll want a third bout. Usyk said, “We’ll see.”
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