Oleksandr Usyk created boxing history as he defeated Tyson Fury in an enthralling bout at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh to be crowned the undisputed world heavyweight champion.
In what was the first undisputed heavyweight world title fight of the four-belt era, they fought all 12 rounds and only the judges could separate them.
Fury and Usyk hugged at the end as they waited for the judges’ decision and victory for Usyk. Usyk won 115-112 and 114-113 on two cards while Fury took the other 114-113. Boxing fans had waited a long time for the highly anticipated contest as it was postponed earlier in the year when the British fighter suffered a serious cut during training.
Fury was the early aggressor but Usyk gradually took charge. Fury was saved by the bell in the ninth round before slumping to his first career defeat.
Usyk landed left hands to the body and head in the seventh and the round ended with him taking control of the fight.
The Ukrainian took his revival into the eighth as he continued to land with hard shots, including one right on the nose to leave Fury touching his nose and right eye.
Fury was no longer moving with ease and after taking a right hook he was in serious trouble, Usyk unloading freely but somehow his opponent stayed on his feet.
By the final round, Fury needed something special but it did not come.
The stakes were very high for the biggest boxing bout of this century. Englishman Fury entered the contest holding the WBC title, yet to taste defeat in his 35-fight professional career, while his Ukrainian challenger Usyk held the other three belts – WBA, WBO and IBF – and also arrived with an impeccable record of 21-0 with 14 KOs.
The last time boxing's top division had an undisputed champion was in 1999 when Lennox Lewis won all three world titles. Since then, the WBO was elevated to full world title status and Saturday was the first occasion when two heavyweight champions fought for all four belts.
Anticipation for bout had been building up for a long time, with the narrative shifting after Fury struggled against MMA fighter Francis Ngannou in October.
Usyk, moving up from cruiserweight, was taking on a much bigger opponent but had triumphed against bigger opponents, beating the towering Anthony Joshua twice.
Promoter Frank Warren had called the contest the “most important fight of the 21st century”. And it surely lived up to that billing.
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ON%20TRACK
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
Favourite things
Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery
Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount
University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China
Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai
Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China
Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
RACE CARD
4pm Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m
5.10pm Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
