Oleksandr Usyk overcame Tyson Fury to defend his unified world heavyweight championships at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.
Usyk prevailed over the course of 12 intense rounds as momentum shifted first from one then to the other.
Eventually though he handled Fury’s aggression, edging ahead of his challenger and winning by unanimous decision.
All three judges agreed on 116-112 and all saw Usyk winning.
Usyk had handed Fury a first professional defeat earlier this year, making history as he became the undisputed heavyweight world champion, the first in 25 years since the reign of Lennox Lewis.
It was a high point in an outstanding career that has seen the Ukrainian already go undisputed at cruiserweight as well as win Olympic gold at London 2012.
But he was in no mood to concede his position as the world-leading heavyweight to Fury.
That victory in May had also taken Usyk’s rivalry with Fury to new heights of intensity. The Briton had worked with brutal ferocity to improve on his last performance and he remained the sternest challenge for Usyk in the division.
Pursuing this rematch did mean Usyk had to shed the IBF title, now held by Britain’s Daniel Dubois, but his unified WBO, WBA and WBC world heavyweight championships were on the line.
Fury, who had held those belts before at different times, wanted them back. He glared down wide-eyed at Usyk when they first came to the centre of the ring, mouthing a final message to his opponent. The Englishman, who weighed 281lbs (albeit fully-clothed), looked massive compared to Usyk.
He landed the hardest shot of the first round, too. Usyk had to blink as he backed off from Fury’s right cross.
Usyk however came forward to hold the centre of the ring in the second round and his southpaw punches pushed Fury back.
But the challenger knocked a solid right into the side of Usyk’s head and drew a first complaint from the Ukrainian in the third round.
Usyk gestured to the referee that he was being hit round the back of the head. Fury took that as a sign of weakness and cantered forward, forcing Usyk rapidly to respond.
Never one to back down, Usyk ramped up his work, dashing a left across Fury’s jaw.
The Ukrainian kept up the pace of his attacks, using mazy body movement as he tried to tease out an opening for that backhand.
Fury stabbed his long right down in the fifth round. With strength and weight behind his punches, he began to prod Usyk backwards.
The Briton drove forwards, a left hook and then a right, carved up, hacked at the Ukrainian’s body. Usyk nodded and smiled but those punches had hit with hurtful force.
The fight was finely balanced at the halfway stage. But towards the end of the sixth round, Usyk began to find the measure of Fury with a brace of ominous left crosses.
He continued to set the pace and in the next round blasted his left over the top. Tagging Fury again and again with that backhand, he became increasingly threatening – a fast, arching left sweeping over the top. Another warning shot.
Landing a left cross, Usyk then banged in a right hook after it and Fury clinched. He did though respond himself. Fury put together wide hooks and just for an instant, Usyk winced when the left connected.
In the ninth round, Fury looked to stem the momentum the champion had built up, snapping a one-two in. Fury then backed off, looking to work on the move. Although the crowd noise swelled behind Usyk, the challenger still kept his composure.
Fury inched onto the front foot in the 10th round, looking to pressure Usyk as he winged his right up. He opened up with further big shots. The Briton stayed on the attack, catching Usyk on the ropes and then leaning down on him when they moved out to the open space of the ring.
Undeterred, Usyk lashed a countering cross into Fury. A right uppercut caught the Ukrainian as he attacked and Fury kept the fight close.
But a huge left from Usyk snapped Fury’s head to the side. He swivelled right back, not turning away from the fight. Usyk chased him across the ring. But Fury stayed defensively sound.
In the last round, Fury tried to charge Usyk down, with the champion signalling that an elbow had gone in.
A right hook clipped Fury and Usyk snagged his challenger, reaching up again with the right. The Ukrainian popped his left over. But a rapid straight one-two saw Fury’s right pierce Usyk’s guard.
Neither could bear to yield. Usyk waded in, then Fury fought back.
A one-two from Usyk streaked in just before the final bell and then the two parted, Usyk falling to his knees in the centre of the ring to pause for a moment in his own thoughts.
The decision of judges Ignacio Robles, Patrick Morley and Gerardo Martinez was unanimous, all agreed on 116-112.
“I win,” Usyk said simply afterwards, “it’s good.”
