Oleksandr Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years on Saturday after he beat Tyson Fury via split decision in the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh. Joe Rogan reacted to the back-and-forth contest on Instagram, praising both fighters for their efforts.
Joe Rogan Reacts to Oleksandr Usyk Beating Tyson Fury
Rogan was quick to hail the Ukrainian’s stellar performance, as well as Fury’s resilience after recovering from being knocked down in the ninth round.
Attached to an image of Usyk’s straight-left pulverising Fury, the UFC commentator and podcaster wrote: “What a fight! Congratulations to @usykaa for winning the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship of the world! And huge props to @tysonfury for not just surviving the 9th round but coming back strong. No one recovers from being rocked like Fury. He’s truly got the heart of a champion. I can’t wait for the rematch!”
The opening rounds were close, then Fury found his feet and began to tear away during rounds four to seven. But it was round nine where Usyk wobbled and dropped Fury, and it could even be argued that the contest should have been stopped.
That notorious buzzer-beater moment against Deontay Wilder may have just saved Fury as we all know what to expect when the former world champion faces adversity.
When to Expect Fury V Usyk 2
After their fight, Metro reported that Usyk said: “‘I missed new year, I missed the birthday of my son, I missed my daughter’s birthday, I missed all my family holiday. All the time training. My focus was only this fight.”
Understandably, he and Fury will use this summer to rest and recover following such grueling damage taken by both. On Saturday, however, the Brit hinted at when their rematch clause would see them both lock horns again.
The 35-year-old said: “We’ll go back, have a rest up then get back to it in October.”
With the influence of Turki Al-Sheikh, it appears that any fight is possible. So fans should have no doubts that a rematch is on the cards unless either fighter decides it is time to hang up the gloves.
In the words of Joe Rogan: “I can’t wait for the rematch.”
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
