Tyson Fury alleges that sympathy for Ukraine may have influenced the judges' decision in his split-decision defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, which cost him the undisputed world heavyweight championship.
Tyson Fury has expressed his discontent with the judges' decision that awarded the undisputed world heavyweight championship to Oleksandr Usyk on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. Fury believes that the judges' sympathies for Ukraine, which is currently engaged in a conflict with Russia, may have swayed their scoring in Usyk's favor.
Usyk emerged victorious via split decision, with two judges scoring the fight 115-112 and 114-113 in his favor. The third judge gave Fury a narrow 114-113 victory.
"I believe I won that fight," Fury declared. "I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them, and I believe it was one of those... decisions in boxing. We both put on a good fight, best we can do."
Fury further insinuated that the judges' biases may have influenced their scoring. "You know, his country is at war, so people are siding with a country at war," he said. "But make no mistake, I won that fight, in my opinion, and I'll be back. I've got a rematch clause."
Usyk, who became the first boxer to hold all four major world titles in the heavyweight division since Lennox Lewis in 2000, expressed his gratitude for the victory. "It's a great time. It's a great day," he said. "It's a big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country. Slava Ukraini!"
Usyk's victory was a triumph not only for himself but also for his war-torn homeland. The Ukrainian boxer has been vocal in his support for his country and has even joined a territorial defense battalion, although he was given permission to leave Ukraine to prepare for the fight.
The judges' decision was met with mixed reactions. Some boxing analysts agreed with Fury's assessment, arguing that he had controlled more of the fight and landed more significant punches. Others, however, praised Usyk's resilience and ability to turn the tide in the later rounds.
The result of the fight sets up a potential rematch between Fury and Usyk, which would be highly anticipated by boxing fans around the world. The exact timing and location of the rematch have yet to be determined.
In the meantime, the boxing community will continue to debate the controversy surrounding the judges' decision. Fury's allegations have raised questions about whether the judges were impartial in their scoring, or if their sympathies for Ukraine influenced their judgment.
It is important to note that the Associated Press contributed to this article. For more sports coverage, please follow Fox News Digital's sports section and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
