At the King Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, DAZN PPV entitled “Ring of Fire” promoter Bob Arum (Top Rank Inc.) and Frank Warren (Queensberry Promotions), presented in the Main Event heavyweight unification match between WBC World heavyweight champion Tyson ‘Gypsy King’ Fury losing a split decision to WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO World heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
In the co-main event, IBF Cruiser champ Jai Opetaia repeated his win over Mairis Briedis in a bloody fight.
In the Main Event WBC Heavyweight champ ‘The Gypsy King’ Tyson Fury, 34-1-1 (24), #262, of Morecambe, Lancashire, UK, lost a split decision to former 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, undisputed Cruiser and current WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO Heavyweight champ southpaw Oleksandr Usyk, 21-0 (14), #223 ½, of Simferopol, UKR, Oxnard, CA, over 12 rounds.
In the first round the much taller Fury clowned while the much shorter Usyk kept looking for an opening round to Fury. In the second, with the fans yelling, “Usyk, Usyk,” he came back to take the round. In the third round, Fury used his reach, taking the round, though Usyk finished stronger. The first clinch happened in this round which favors Fury putting all his size on Usyk.
In the fourth round, both had their moments while Fury continued to clown, and Usyk did all business. A slight cut over the right eye of Usyk.
In the fifth round, Fury landed uppercuts, keeping Usyk at bay. At the sixth round’s halfway point, Fury hurt Usyk with a right uppercut on the chin, putting him on the defense.
In the seventh round’s final seconds, Usyk finally landed the left on the chin, finishing stronger again. At the eighth round, halfway point, Usyk rocked Fury with a right cross. In the final seconds it was all Usyk winning the round.
In the ninth round, Usyk won the round when he hurt Fury, knocking him into the ropes for a standing 8-count from Referee Nelson. In the tenth and eleventh, Usyk came back well, taking both rounds. In the twelfth round, Usyk outworked Fury.
Referee Mark Nelson
Scores 115-112 Usyk, 114-113, Fury, 114-113 Usyk. 114-114 KH.
IBF World Super Feather champ Joe ‘The Welsh Wizard’ Cordina, 17-1 (9), #130, of Cardiff, Wales, UK, was upset being stopped in a good match by IBO World Super Feather champ southpaw Anthony ‘The Anto town Apache’ Cacace, 22-1 (8), #129 ¾, of Belfast, No. IRE, UK, at 0:39 of the eighth round of a scheduled 12 rounds.
This was the first competitive match-up to this point.
In the first round Cordina showed his speed a hand while Cacace his countering with Cordina on top. In the second round, Cacace landed a right, getting the respect of Cordina.
In the third round, Cacace hit Cordina on the break, and Referee Bob Williams should have taken a point. It had an effect on Cordina that Cacace took advantage, dropping Cordina with a pair of right uppercuts for an 8-count in the final minute from Referee Williams, but managed to get to the bell.
In the fourth round, Cordina recovered and came back well, taking the round. Referee Williams allowed too many rabbit punches and was too timid. In the fifth round, Cacace had an edge. In the sixth round, Cacace ended the round with over a dozen unanswered punches.
In the eighth round, Cacace had Cordina defenseless with over a half dozen unanswered punches before Referee Williams called a halt.
In a rematch and co-Main Event former Olympian, IBF World Cruiser champ southpaw Jai Opetaia, 25-0 (19), #198, of Sydney, AUST, defeated former 3-time WBC, WBO, IBF World Cruiser champ Mairis Briedis, 28-23(20), #199, of Riga, LATVIA, over 12 rounds, for the vacant IBF Cruiser title.
After a feeling-out first round, in the second round, Opetaia, the quicker-handed player, had an edge on the defense-minded Briedis.
In the fourth round, after a minute, Opetaia finally landed a solid punch in what had been a boring match up to this point. In the sixth round, Opetaia drew blood from the nose of Briedis with a short, left hook.
In the eighth round Briedis landed his best punch a right on the chin seconds into the round. This was one of the better rounds so far. In the tenth round Briedis drew blood from the nose of Opetaia in a good round of action.
In the eleventh round, like their previous fight, it was Briedis taking over, with both bleeding from the nose covered with blood. In the twelfth and final round Briedis may have done too much too little too late.
The referee was Howard Foster.
Scores 117-111 and 116-112 twice.
NABF and WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight champ WBC No. 3 Agit Kabayel, 25-0 (17), #238 ½, of Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, GER, knocked out WBC Continental Americas and WBO NABO champ WBC No. 2 ranked Frank Sanchez, 24-1 (17), #238 ½, of Guantanamo, Cuba, Miami, FL, at 2:33 of the seventh round of a scheduled 12 rounds.
In the first round there were too many clinches in a close round. In the second through the sixth rounds Kabayel continued pressing the fight outworking a flat Sanchez.
In the seventh round a three-punch combination starting with a right to the chin and two lefts to the body from Kabayel and down went Sanchez for an 8-count from Referee Victor Loughlin.
Kabayel ended it with a solid jab to the mid-section dropping Sanchez again for the count from Referee Loughlin. Afterward, during the interview, a modest Kabayel was impressed.
Former unified WBO World Light Heavy champ Sergey ’Krusher’ Kovalev, 35-5-1 (29), #194 ¼, of Russia, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, lost a decision to Robin Sirwan Safar, 17-0 (12), #194, of Sweden, Las Vegas, NV, scoring the lone knockdown over 10 rounds.
In the first two rounds returning after two years, the 41-year-old Kovalev used his jab while Safar went to the body. In the third round final half minute, Safar rocked Kovalev with a right on the chin.
From the fourth through the sixth, Kovalev did well inside to keep it close, especially during clinches landing. In the seventh’s final minute, Safar out-landed Kovalev.
In the ninth round Safar had Kovalev in trouble looking for a stoppage. In the tenth and final round, Safar landed a solid left followed by a finishing right on the chin of Kovalev, who went down for an 8-count from Referee Mark Bates in the final seconds.
Scores were 97-92, 99-90, and 95-94.
The referee was Mark Bates.
WBA Inter-Continental champ southpaw Mark ‘Thunder’ Chamberlain, 16-0 (12), #134 ¼, of Portsmouth, UK, impressed when he stopped Joshua ‘The Wealth Machine’ Oluwaseun Wahab, 23-2 (16), #132, of Lagos, NIG, Accra, GH, at 2:42 of the first round of a scheduled 12 rounds, for the vacant WBC Silver Lightweight title.
In the first round’s final minute, Chamberlain landed a left on the chin and down went Wahab for an 8-count from Referee Lee Every. Chamberlain jumped all over him with a flurry of punches, again dropping Wahab, causing Referee Wahab to immediately call a halt without a count.
19-year-old Moses ‘Enriko’ Itauma, 9-0 (7), #239, of Slovakia, Chatham, Kent, UK, impressed in stopping Ilja Mazencev, 25-4 (21), #232, of Almaty, KAZ, Hamburg, GER, at 0:50 of the second round of a scheduled10 rounds, for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Heavy title.
In the first round final minute, Itauma had Mazencev out on his feet. Then pushed him to the canvas at the bell. Seconds into the second round a chopping right cross from Itauma on the chin and down went Mazencev with Referee Howard Foster waving it off immediately.
Feather Isaac ‘Westgate Warrior’ Lowe, 25-2-3 (8), #125 ½, of Morecambe, Lancashire, UK, defeated Hasibullah ‘Kalashnikov’ Ahmadi, 16-2 (5), #127 ¾, of Dubai, UAE, over 10 rounds.
In the eighth round, Lowe dropped Ahhmadi for an 8-count from Referee Mark Bates. Lowe was ahead 97-92 at the end.
Southpaw Daniel Lapin, 10-0 (4, #174 ¾, of Wroclaw, POL, Kyiv, UKR, knocked out Octavio ‘Tank’ Pudivitr, 9-2 (4), #173 ¾, of Porto, PORT, 10 rounds, for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental Light Heavy title.
In the first round, Lapin knocked out Pudivitr for the full count by Referee Bob Williams
2020 Olympic Bronze Medalist Cruiser David ‘The Nice Guy’ Nyika, 9-0 (8), #198, of Gatton, Queensland, AUST, stopped Michael Seitz, 12-1 (10), #198 ½, of Frankfort, GER, at 2:45 of the fourth round of a scheduled 10 rounds, for vacant IBF Int’l title.
In the first round, Seitz, the aggressor, did well, though getting hit with a good right body shot from Nyika with half a minute remaining. In the first two rounds, Seitz outworked Nyika, who ended the round well. In the third round Seitz was laboring while Nyika had a good round.
In the fourth round Nyika had his way especially to the body of the tired Seitz and in the final minute when a left to the body dropped Seitz for an 8-count from Referee Howard Foster. Upon rising the fight was wisely called to a halt.
Ring Announcers Michael Treiber and then Michael Buffer doing the main event.
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