RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- There hadn't been an undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield in a rematch of all-time greats in November 1999 in Las Vegas.
Halfway around the world -- and nearly 25 years later -- another undisputed champion in boxing's glamour division was crowned when Oleksandr Usyk floored Tyson Fury in Round 9 en route to a split-decision victory early Sunday at a sold-out Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The wait was well worth it as both men delivered a fight befitting the prize they were competing for.
One judge scored it 114-113 for Fury but was overruled by scores of 114-113 and 115-112 for Usyk, who handed Fury his first professional loss.
It's [a] big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country, for history," said Usyk, who resides in war-torn Ukraine. "It's [a] great day."
The two-fight deal for this long-awaited matchup included a planned rematch Oct. 12 in Riyadh, where Fury will look to even the score and move onto a super fight with Anthony Joshua in the first quarter of 2025. He entered the ring following an October win over Francis Ngannou, who also dropped him.