Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2: Usyk win on split decision to retain heavyweight titles

Usyk beat Anthony Joshua to retain di IBF, IBO, WBA (SUPER) plus WBO heavyweight titles.

Briton Anthony Joshua bid to recapture di unified heavyweight titles end in disappointment as Oleksandr Usyk produce one ogbonge performance to win by split decision for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

For di clash dem title Rage on di Red Sea, one spirited Joshua, 32, show some aggressiveness and intent - wey be major improvement from dia first fight - but im no fit match di brilliance and ring savviness of di Ukrainian.

Two judges scored di fight 115-113 and 116-112 to Usyk, while one third judge give am115-113 to di challenger.

Na Eleven months ago, for one packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Oleksandr Usyk first comot Britain Anthony Joshua world heavyweight titles from am afta one ogbonge performance.

How Usyk beat Joshua to retain title

Round 1

Usyk, for di Ukraine colours, try to spring out di jab to find di range. Joshua land wit a straight left early on.

Both men spring around on one early fact-finding mission.

One good right hook from Joshua land, but Usyk take am nicely. Usyk fire wit im left, e catch di head of Joshua and dat na first round in the books. Tentative from both men, but na close opener.

"We need more presence for di centre of di ring," Joshua pipo tell am.

Round 2

Joshua try one straight right, but Usyk see am dey come and im duck underneath. Usyk bounce around prove hard to hit at di moment.

Joshua try mix am up wit one crushing right hand to Usyk body, but di champion show no sign say e hit am.

Another straight right from Joshua get some cheers from di British fans, but, just like di first, na tight round to call.

Round 3

Better blow from Joshua wit one left instantly followed by di right, although Usyk defence dey strong and e soak up some of di power from those two shots.

Joshua land one right uppercut, but Usyk dey too quick e dance out of im way.

Round 4

Usyk dance forward and e start to dey more aggressive, but dis one draw esponse from Joshua wey also dey look to step up di pace imself.

E dey closer than di first meeting. Just a few signs say e don begin to heat up nicely.

Round 5

Into di fifth. One sweeping right hook from Joshua catch Usyk gloves but still force di champion to wobble a bit backwards. But Joshua no fit build on dat and ever so quickly Usyk is back in action.

Usyk later complain say Joshua don catch am wit a low shot.

A good body shot from Joshua and again Usyk is forced back, im bounce off di ropes. Better from Joshua.

Round 6

One straight right and left hook from Joshua connects, but Usyk instantly respond wit some rapid shots to Joshua body.

Joshua then go for one swinging left hook na only glancing contact im fit make.

Joshua later land wit a couple of shots. But again im don only get limited success and and e no fit build on am wit Usyk too quick, too skilful and too elusive.

Six gone and e dey very hard to call dis one. "Jab, jab, right to di body," na wetin dem tell Joshua to do.

Round 7

One left to di body dey on target from Joshua.

Usyk later find one short left and another. Be like e don dey grow in confidence, happy he can nullify AJ attacks. Usyk lets di arms go in for di final few seconds of di seventh round but im no fit land cleanly.

Round 8

Just like di first fight, Joshua neva still fit land di heavy shots, even as im be di heavier man. Im don land wit one to body, but need much, much more of dat.

Usyk winning dis one so far and we got only a minute of di eighth to go.

Some fast hands later land from Usyk, but two, three brutal shots to di body from Joshua.

Round 9

One good right left combo from Joshua.

Joshua don attack. Usyk in trouble.

Joshua dey dominate dis ninth round. Im fans believe.

Round 10

Joshua smile at di end of dat ninth, but Usyk don start di10th well, land wit some hooks imself.

Joshua respond wit one brilliant hook. e rock Usyk backward.

Usyk attack once more, land at will at di end of di 10th.

But Joshua still manage one great punch imself.

Two rounds to go. Joshua need sometin special and quickly.

Round 11

Di speed and movement from Usyk at times don dey exceptional. wit three minutes left and you get di feeling Joshua go to need di best three minutes of im life if im go regain im belts.

Round 12

One good left hook from Joshua. Ninety seconds to go.

Usyk again escape from danger, again find di class to pick off an attacking Joshua.

Usyk sink to im knees for di middle of di ring at di final bell.

To di judges' scorecards....

Usyk win on split decision.

Head-to-head

Wetin happun before di fight?

Moment AJ land di venue

Di man wey dey hope to get back on top of di world dis night. Dis na massive night for Anthony Joshua as im bid to become a three-time champion of di world.

Dis go be great, great fight'

Oleksandr Usyk say: "E dey very important for me, my team, my country, and I dey really happy to be here. No be my first time, na my third time for Saudi Arabia. I feel like I' go come here againand again.

"We don learn from each other for di first fight, but dis na continuation and di first round on Saturday go be round 13. We don get enough time to study each other.

Wen di champion dey backstage dey prepare....

Wetin Joshua don tok about di fight?

Di 32 years no too ginger for di press conference, but im say im intend to "get di job done" dis time around.

"That's it, na must win. I like di pressure," Joshua add.

"I want to compete. I dey look forward to am. I no fit really tok too much. You gatz get competitive spirit. I dey look forward to am."

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