In 2024, the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, delivered many significant boxing events, and it continues with a rematch for the Lineal Heavyweight Championship. Two-division Undisputed Champion and 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Oleksandr Usyk will defend his titles against former champion Tyson Fury.
Usyk and Fury first fought earlier this year in May. That match was for the Undisputed Heavyweight Title, which Usyk won by split decision 114-113, 115-112, and 113-114. Although this rematch is viewed as a fight for the undisputed title, it isn’t. Shortly after Usyk won the IBF, IBO, WBC, and WBO titles, he was stripped of the IBF championship. The IBF issued Usyk to face his mandatory challenger, but he refused since the rematch with Fury was on the table.
So now, on Saturday, December 21, we see Usyk defend his IBO, WBC, and WBO titles against Fury in the same place where the first fight occurred: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Daniel Dubois beat Anthony Joshua for the vacant IBF heavyweight title in September. Usyk is still the heavyweight king and the lineal heavyweight champion.
Although the first fight was a split decision on the judges’ scorecards, that doesn’t tell the whole story. Usyk out-landed Fury in total punches (170 vs. 157) and power punches (122 vs. 95). Usyk also out-struck Tyson in seven rounds while out-landing him in power punches in eight of the 12 rounds of the fight. Usyk hurt Fury badly in the ninth round and knocked him down.
Usyk didn’t just have a good performance against Fury; he was the most successful any fighter has ever been against “The Gyspy King”. Otto Wallin previously landed the most punches against Fury with 127, and Usyk landed 43 more than that. Fury has been taken to the limit before against Deontay Wilder, but he found a way to beat him twice while having one draw.
Usyk is the first fighter to beat the once unbeatable Fury. In October 2023, we saw Fury hit the canvas again against Francis Ngannou. But like he always does, Fury showed reliance and the heart of a champion. He beat Ngannou by a split decision. But instead of a bigger man being able to defeat Fury, it was the smaller 233-pound Olympic Gold Medalist from Ukraine in Usyk.
After that last victory, Usyk has officially cemented himself as an all-time great and one of the greatest boxers to ever step in a ring. He is a two-division Undisputed champion. That has only been done by two other fighters: Naoya Inoue and Terrence Crawford. There is a debate about the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world between Usyk, Crawford, and Inoue. Each fighter has an excellent case to make, but if Usyk beats Fury the second time, it will catapult him to the top of that list.
Fury is reaching a turning point in his career. Before the loss against Usyk, Fury was viewed as the greatest heavyweight champion of this generation. But if he cannot revenge his lone loss in his career against Usyk, it will be a stain forever left on his resume. Usyk is the -150 favorite, while Fury is +120 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
In the co-main event, a 12-round super welterweight bout of Serhii Bohachuk vs. Ishmael Davis occurs. Both fighters lost their previous fight and are looking to bounce back in a big way. Bohachuk is 24-2 in his career with 23 knockouts and lost his last bout to undefeated Interim WBC Super Welterweight Champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. in July. Davis, 29, is the pride of Leeds, United Kingdom, and is 13-1 in his young career. Josh Kelly defeated Davis in September at Wembley Stadium. Bohachuk is a heavy favorite of -900, as Davis is a +600 underdog.
Moses Itauma, 19, is one of the best young prospects in boxing. He is 10-0 with eight knockouts and is fighting for the 11th time in the last 23 months. He has knocked out his previous five opponents. This is Itauma’s fourth fight in 2024. Itauma is facing his most challenging and experienced opponent, Demsey McKean. McKean is 22-1 with 14 knockouts in his career.
Another talented up-and-coming boxer in the heavyweight division is “The Romford Bull” Johnny Fisher. Fisher is 12-0 with 11 knockouts and is ranked No. 40 on BoxRec’s heavyweight rankings. He is fighting Dave Allen on this main card. Unsurprisingly, the rising star Fischer is a massive -1600 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook.
This card will air live on DAZN PPV at 11 a.m. ET, with the main event expected to occur at 5:00 p.m. ET. Check out the full seven-fight card below.
Full Card
Main Event: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2
WBC, WBO and IBO Heavyweight Championship
Serhii Bohachuk vs. Ishmael Davis
Super Welterweight Bout
Moses Itauma vs. Demsey McKean
Heavyweight Bout
Johnny Fisher vs. Dave Allen
Heavyweight Bout
Isaac Lowe vs. Lee McGregor
Featherweight Bout
Daniel Lapin vs Dylan Colin
Light Heavyweight Bout
Andrii Novytskyi vs Edgar Ramirez
Heavyweight Bout
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