Welsh Kendrick Osorio

After 25 years without an undisputed heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk rose above the odds, as he surged back just in time for a historic moment.

Photo Courtesy of Nick Potts / AP.

Proving steadier down the stretch, the Ukrainian pride bolted out in the latter stages of the battle to turn down Tyson Fury via split decision and capture the undisputed heavyweight championship on Sunday at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Usyk (22-0-0) consolidated Fury's WBC and lineal heavyweight championships with his own WBA, WBO, and IBF titles as the first person since Lennox Lewis in 1999 to achieve such a feat when there were only three recognized titles in rotation

"Thank you so much. It's a big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country. It's a great time, it's a great day," Usyk said while fighting back tears in a post-fight interview in the ring.

The 6-foot-3 Usyk channeled his inner "David" in the ninth round, as he uncorked a clean straight left to the six inch taller Fury's jaw, sending the "Goliath" back into the ropes. 

Sustaining the momentum, the southpaw boxer continued to unleash flashy combos that cut Fury (34-1-1) down to size before the bell sounded, saving the Gypsy King from a potential knockout. 

From thereon, Usyk never took his foot off the gas and outworked Fury over the second half of the fight, as he established 115-112 and 114-113 on two scorecards while the third judge saw it as 114-113 against him.

Meanwhile, the Brit first got off to a solid start, capitalizing on his reach advantage with solid jabs and body blows against Usyk. 

The Ukrainian, also known as "The Cat," however, roared back when it mattered most after bombarding constant forward pressure and overhand lefts to keep his foe on the edge the rest of the way.

With the win, the 37-year-old mainstay joined Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue in earning undisputed crowns in multiple divisions in the four-belt era.

On the other hand, the battle saw 35-year-old Fury lose for the first time in a 16-year professional career but said he will get revenge with a rematch planned for later this year.

“I believe I won that fight. I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority. It was one of the daftest decisions in boxing. I'll be back," he remarked.