By Ricardo Lezama 
Oleksandr Usyk, the undefeated two-weight division undisputed champion Ukrainian boxer, successfully retained his heavyweight titles after facing British fighter Tyson Fury for a second time. From what appears to be the second home of boxing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Usyk looked aggressive and consistent in his effort which ended with a unanimous decision in favor of Usyk.
On a lighter note, Tyson Fury caused a stir by choosing a popular Mariah Carey Christmas song as his entrance theme, while Usyk opted to wear traditional Ukrainian clothing and entered to the tune of his personal anthem.
Tyson Fury makes his entrance against Usyk with Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas’ playing in the arena
— Boxing News (@boxing.bsky.social) December 21, 2024 at 5:37 PM
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Despite the judges’ unanimous ruling, Tyson Fury rejected his defeat, calling it a “Christmas gift” for Usyk, which was understandable given the improvement he showed in this rematch, but it was still not enough in our opinion. Following his victory, Usyk remained humble, dedicating his triumph to his mother and all the mothers of Ukraine. This gesture further solidified his image as a heroic figure in his homeland, especially in the context of the ongoing conflicts with Russia.
Oleksandr Usyk dedicates his victory to his mother; to every Ukrainian mother❤️
— UNITED24 (@u24.gov.ua) December 21, 2024 at 7:42 PM
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Many Ukrainians expressed hope that Usyk’s victory would bring some satisfaction and temporary relief to Ukrainian citizens amid the tense political and military situation in their country. Another user, impressed by Usyk’s performance, suggested that any boxer attempting to challenge him should adopt an aggressive strategy rather than trying to outmatch him technically in the ring.
Following his recent victory, there is speculation that Usyk might consider returning to the cruiserweight division, where interesting challenges could await him. However, he has yet to confirm his future plans. Meanwhile, Tyson Fury expressed dissatisfaction with the scorecards and criticized the judges after his defeat to Usyk.
AI Judge Oddity
While it is true that judges are allowed in some sanctioning bodies to count a round as a ‘draw’ by scoring it for both fighters as 10-10 round, the AI judge scored the fight In an unusual way based on this premise that is not commonly used. Thus, in two rounds, the AI declared a draw and yielded a 118-to-12 score still in favor of Usyk.