Oleksandr Usyk edges Tyson Fury by split decision, now undisputed - ESPN

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — There hadn't been an undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in a rematch of all-time greats in November 1999 in Las Vegas.

Halfway around the world — and nearly 25 years later — another undisputed champion in boxing's glamour division was crowned when Oleksandr Usyk floored Tyson Fury in Round 9 en route to a split decision victory early Sunday at sold-out Kingdom Arena.

The wait was well worth it as both men delivered a fight befitting the prize for which they were competing.

One judge scored it 114-113 for Fury but was overruled by scores of 114-113 and 115-112 for Usyk, who handed Fury his first professional loss.

«It's [a] big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country, for history,» said Usyk, who resides in war-torn Ukraine. «It's [a] great day.»

The two-fight deal for this long-awaited matchup included a planned rematch Oct. 12 in Riyadh, where Fury will look to even the score and move on to a superfight with Anthony Joshua in the first quarter of 2025.

«I believe I won the fight, but I'm not going to sit here and cry and make excuses,» said Fury, who owned a 39-pound and six-inch advantage over Usyk. «I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them. What can you do? We both put on a good fight, the best we could do.… But make no mistake, I won that fight… and I'll be back. We've got a rematch clause.»

Usyk needed four stitches to close a cut over his right eye, according to his promoter, K2 Promotions' Alexander Krassyuk. There also was concern that Usyk suffered a broken jaw in the fight, and he was headed to a local hospital for an MRI. Usyk's assistant trainer and cutman, Russ Anber, told ESPN that the fighter didn't