Tyson Fury believes he won the undisputed heavyweight contest against Oleksandr Usyk in May, despite the split decision that crowned the Ukrainian as boxing’s first four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion.
Usyk, 37, secured the victory in Saudi Arabia with scorecards reading 115-112 and 114-113 in his favor, while a third judge scored it 114-113 for Fury. However, Fury remains convinced that he did enough to win.
“I’ve watched the fight back lots and still got the same answer – I thought I won,” Fury said on his YouTube channel. “Usyk knows he didn’t beat me. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it’d be. My problem was I probably had too much fun. It was too easy. It was like I was in there with a local amateur boxer. I was enjoying it too much, messing around and paid the ultimate price in round nine.”
Usyk, undefeated in 22 professional fights, is a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and former undisputed cruiserweight champion. Despite his impressive resume, Fury dismissed his performance in their bout.
A rematch between Fury, 35, and Usyk is scheduled for December 21, and Fury has already returned to training. “I’ve got to get him out of there because I’m not gonna get a decision,” Fury said. “It’s unfortunate because it’s hard enough to win a fight just by winning it, never mind knowing you’ve got to knock someone out. I’m confident and looking forward to the challenge. I hear he’s got a broken jaw and a broken eye socket, so get yourself well and I’ll see you in December.”
There are uncertainties regarding whether the undisputed title will be on the line again, as the IBF is considering stripping Usyk of the belt for not making a mandatory defense. Usyk has requested an exception to retain the belt for the rematch.
Credit: BBC Sport
