TENET Sports Gists

Tolulope Banso 

Oleksandr Usyk has defeated Anthony Joshua to retain his world heavyweight boxing titles by split decision in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Joshua puts in an improved performance from their first bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September but Usyk still proved to be too much for him across the 12 rounds, retaining his IBF, WBO, and WBA (Super) heavyweight belts, as well as picking up the Ring magazine title vacated by Tyson Fury, with a split-decision victory.

One judge scored the fight 115-113 in AJ’s favour, but the second had the same score to Usyk with the third making it 116-112 to the world champion.

Joshua came out of the blocks with more intensity than 11 months ago, with neither man backing down in a thrilling rematch.

The Ukrainian will now attempt to coax Fury out of retirement for a lucrative showdown to become the first undisputed champion of boxing’s blue-riband division since the great Lennox Lewis.

 
Rocky beats Kamaru in UFC

Leon "Rocky" Edwards has emerged as the new Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion after a shocking knockout win against Nigeria’s Kamaru "Nigerian Nightmare" Usman in the early hours of Sunday.

The Jamaican-born British professional mixed martial artist  delivered one of the iconic moments in UFC history to flatline Kamaru Usman with a head kick and dethrone the pound-for-pound No 1 welterweight champion. 

Edwards made history on the night as the first fighter to take Usman down and also record a knockout win against him in 16 UFC fights.

His undefeated streak improved to 11 and Usman saw his 19-fight winning streak and suffered his first loss in nine years.

With The Nigerian Nightmare ahead on the score card and just seconds away from retaining his welterweight title, Edwards needed to pull something out the bag.

With just one minute left on the clock and many already writing the obituary of his title shot, Edwards feinted forwards, drew Usman into a lean to his right where he was unceremoniously dispatched with a shin bone across the jaw.

Joshua fumes after Usyk’s defeat

Anthony Joshua is fuming following his heavyweight championship defeat to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in Saudia Arabia on Saturday.

The Englishman lost on a split decision as Usyk defended his heavyweight titles, beating Joshua for a second time.

Joshua threw two of Usyk’s belts on the floor at the end of the fight following the result and headed for his changing room before storming back to the ring to shake Usyk’s hand.

He then picked up the microphone and went on an expletive-filled rant, discussing the fight, his career, leading cheers to Usyk, and discussed the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

Joshua’s emotions were clearly running high following the loss after twelve rounds of stunning boxing, and he returned to the ring to address the crowd in Jeddah.

The Englishman began by referencing his youth and troubles with police as he reflected on his career following the devastating defeat and applauded his competitor.

“If you knew my story you would understand the passion. I ain’t no amateur boxer from five years old that was an elite prospect from youth.

“I was going to jail, I got bail and I started training my arse off, I wanted to be able to fight.

“I’m stealing this Usyk I’m sorry, but it’s because of the passion we put into this.

 This guy to beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the level of hard work I put in so please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world.’

Joshua pushed Usyk all the way and produced a largely more impressive performance in his first fight at Tottenham Hotspur stadium last year but couldn’t find a way past his Ukrainian counterpart.

The former champion insisted he was a ‘new breed of heavyweight’ in the aftermath of defeat as he labelled Usyk as a ‘phenomenal talent’.

“I’m not a 12 round fighter, look at me, I’m a new breed of heavyweights, Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston, Jack Dempsey, ‘you don’t throw combinations like Rocky Marciano’, I’m 18 stone, I’m heavy, it’s hard work.

“This guy here is a phenomenal talent, we’re going to cheer for him three times.”