Oleksandr Usyk was reportedly rushed to a Saudi Arabian hospital after defeating Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Usyk and Fury battled for 12 intense rounds at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Saturday night, with the Ukrainian emerging victorious via a split decision from the judges.
From the start, Fury tried to unsettle Usyk by making faces and showboating to the crowd. Despite Fury landing some significant blows, Usyk held his ground, delivering plenty of his own punches and gaining momentum as the fight progressed.
In the latter rounds, Usyk took control, particularly in the ninth round where he repeatedly struck Fury, who staggered from rope to rope. Despite appearing close to collapsing, Fury managed to stay on his feet and continued to fight in the final rounds.
The fight was closely contested and thrilling from start to finish. Usyk was declared the winner immediately after the final bell.
Both fighters were visibly worn out, and ESPN reported that Usyk was taken to the hospital for an MRI scan due to concerns of a broken jaw.
The 37-year-old began complaining of jaw pain after the fight and was examined before returning to the arena for his post-fight media obligations.
Fury addressed Usyk’s jaw problem during his press conference, stating, “We’ve just had a fight. As you can see from my face, I’m pretty busted up. And he’s gone to the hospital with a broken jaw – and he’s pretty busted too. We punched the f*** out of each other for 12 rounds.”
Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, addressed the media during a post-fight press conference, revealing that Usyk required four stitches for a cut over his right eye and was advised to undergo a scan on his jaw at the hospital.
Krassyuk confirmed that Usyk would be prepared for any potential rematch in October and shared that Usyk was eager to attend the press conference.
“He said he doesn’t want to go to the hospital, he wants to come to the press conference,” Krassyuk stated. “But the doctor insisted he has to go. He insists so I have to be here on his behalf,” Krassyuk said.
Usyk eventually returned to the Kingdom Arena, able to move his jaw freely, to share his thoughts on the memorable night in the Middle East.
