Tyson Fury was quick to leave the ring after his loss to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday, avoiding a post-fight interview.
Fury suffered a decision loss to Usyk for the second time this year, and their rematch was in fact more decisive than their first meeting; Usyk won 116-112 on all three scorecards on Saturday, after beating the Briton by split decision in May.
Both fights took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the first clash crowning Usyk as the undisputed heavyweight champion. The Ukrainian, a former undisputed cruiserweight king, then gave up the IBF belt in June, meaning only the WBC, WBO and WBA titles were available on Saturday.
And Usyk will leave Saudi Arabia with those belts still in his possession, as well as his unbeaten record.
Meanwhile, Fury was quick to leave the ring after his unanimous-decision loss, which marked the second defeat of his professional career.
In doing so, the former champion avoided a post-fight interview, while Usyk stayed in the ring to speak. However, Fury did partake in a post-fight press conference later on.
“I win, it’s good,” said Usyk in the ring, in typically understated fashion. “Listen, he’s a great fighter, a great opponent. It’s a great 24 rounds, unbelievable 24 rounds for my career.”
When asked how he seems to keep improving, even a month before his 38th birthday, Usyk joked: “I don’t know, maybe I am training, preparing well.
“My wife helped me, my children,” he added, before dedicating the win to his mother.
Usyk was also confronted by Daniel Dubois, whom he stopped in 2023, and who holds the IBF belt that Usyk vacated in June.
Dubois is due to defend the title against Joseph Parker in February, but Usyk accepted the Briton’s calls for a rematch.
After Fury lost to Usyk in May, the 36-year-old accused the judges of siding with Usyk because of his country’s ongoing invasion by Russia. One judge in fact scored that fight in Fury’s favour (114-113), while the other two scored it for Usyk (115-112, 114-113).
