Boxing fans spent months arguing over whether the first fight was a fluke. It wasn't. On December 21, 2024, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, we finally got our answer. Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 wasn't just another heavyweight bout; it was the definitive closing of a chapter that had hung over the division for years.
Usyk didn't just win. He settled the debate.
Honestly, going into this, everyone had a theory. Maybe Fury was too light last time? Maybe he spent too much time showboating in the corner? People thought if he just used his massive 281-pound frame to bully the smaller Ukrainian, the belts would come home to Morecambe. But boxing is rarely that simple when you're facing a guy with the ring IQ of a grandmaster.
What Actually Happened in Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2
The atmosphere in Saudi Arabia was electric, but the fight itself felt different from the first one. It was colder. More clinical.
Fury came out much more aggressive than he did in May. He was trying to assert that dominance early, landing heavy jabs and a particularly nasty left uppercut in the fifth round that looked like it might change the momentum. For a second, you’ve gotta wonder if Usyk is finally feeling the weight of the division.
Then, the "Cat" did what he always does. He adapted.
Usyk started hammering the body. If you look at the final numbers, he landed 78 body shots compared to Fury’s 45. That’s a lot of thudding leather to the ribs for a man of Fury’s size. By the middle rounds, the "Gypsy King" was visibly flagging, gulping in air while Usyk’s lateral movement stayed as crisp as the first bell.
The scorecards reflected a clear dominance. All three judges—Gerardo Martinez, Patrick Morley, and Ignacio Robles—turned in identical scores of 116-112.
The Stats That Don't Lie
CompuBox basically confirmed what we saw with our eyes. Usyk landed 179 of 423 punches. That’s a 42.3% clip. Fury, meanwhile, was busy but less accurate, landing 144 of 509.
"I win. Thank you, God. [Tyson Fury] is a great fighter, a great opponent. It's been an unbelievable 24 rounds for my career." — Oleksandr Usyk, post-fight.
Interestingly, there was an experimental "AI judge" used for this fight. While it didn't count toward the official result, it had the fight even wider at 118-112 for Usyk. Fury wasn't a fan. He called the decision an "early Christmas gift" and left the ring without the usual post-fight pleasantries.
Why This Rematch Still Matters
You might think, "Okay, he won twice, so what?"
It matters because it cemented Usyk as the greatest heavyweight of this generation. Period. He’s beaten Anthony Joshua twice and now he’s beaten Tyson Fury twice. He moved up from cruiserweight and basically cleaned out the biggest guys on the planet.
There was also the weirdness with the belts. Usyk wasn't technically fighting for the "undisputed" title this time because the IBF stripped him earlier in the year to allow Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua to fight for their version. But let’s be real. Everyone knows who the king is.
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The Fallout and Retirement
The aftermath of Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 was almost as dramatic as the fight. Fury, after years of retirement teases, actually made it official. On January 13, 2025, he announced his departure from professional boxing.
It felt like the end of an era. Fury has been the most polarizing, entertaining, and massive figure in the sport for a decade. Seeing him lose back-to-back fights to a man 50 pounds lighter was a tough pill for his fans to swallow, but it also showed the level of greatness Usyk has achieved.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Result
A lot of folks claim Fury "gave it away" by not being aggressive enough. That’s just not true.
Fury threw more punches in the rematch than Usyk did. He tried to lead. He tried to bully. The problem wasn't Fury’s effort; it was Usyk’s efficiency. Landing 54% of your power punches over the final five rounds—which is what Usyk did—is unheard of at heavyweight.
Usyk essentially forced Fury into a high-paced "small man's" fight, and the big man simply couldn't keep his lungs working at that speed for 36 minutes.
Your Next Steps for Following the Heavyweight Scene
If you're wondering what to watch now that the Usyk-Fury saga is over, keep your eyes on the following developments:
- Watch for the Usyk vs Daniel Dubois Rematch: Since Dubois holds the IBF title and crashed Usyk's post-fight interview in Riyadh, this is the biggest "unification" fight left on the table for 2026.
- Track the Retirement Status: Keep an eye on Tyson Fury's social media. While he announced retirement in January 2025, the "Gypsy King" has a history of coming back for the right price or the right grudge.
- Study the Tape: If you’re a boxing nerd, go back and watch rounds 7 through 10 of the rematch. It’s a masterclass in how to use lateral movement to neutralize a reach advantage.