Usyk v Gassiev - WBSS cruiserweight final from Moscow (AS IT HAPPENED)

21 July 2018

Post-fight - Gassiev thanks Usyk for the fight and the crowd for their support. Usyk gives glory to God and addresses his close ones in the crowd upon accepting the Muhammad Ali trophy from the late great boxing icon's widow Lonnie.

Decision: Ukraine's Alexander Usyk wins by sound unanimous decision 120-108, 119-109, 119-109 over Russian Murat Gassiev and becomes the undisputed cruiserweight world champion and winner of the Muhammad Ali trophy!

Round 12

Round 12 - Usyk ends the round with an Ali shuffle, a nod to the iconic boxer who the tournament’s trophy is named after. His hand speed is something that Gassiev has never seen before and hasn't found an answer to, and neither did he find that KO punch. Usyk works beautifully behind his jab and head movement to puzzle the Russian. We go to the judges' scorecard in Moscow to find out who will become the undisputed cruiserweight champion and the WBSS final winner and owner of the Muhammad Ali trophy.

Round 11

Gassiev surely needs a knockout blow to salvage this fight from the grasp of the Ukrainian's lightning quick hands. He could have won that round with his pressure on Usyk, but it isn't enough to make a dent in the Usyk's lead. Usyk has never been stopped in 14 professional fights... but Gassiev is the KO king in the division. How will this one finish? The 12th and final round is coming up!

Round 10

The puncher is being outpunched, as Usyk lands on Gassiev at will and with devastating intent, knocking back the home fighter with the sheer velocity of this blows, rather than the volume as it was at before. Gassiev does land a looping left hook that catches Usyk on the side of the face during one of the Ukrainian's combinations, but it's a precious drop in the ocean of punishment coming from Usyk.

Round 9

Closer round to call. Gassiev channeling his frustration a little better in that round, but his head is still being popped back with crisp Usyk potshots when on the back foot and from blurring combinations when he holds the center of the ring. Usyk is clearly in control and making Gassiev work extremely hard to even get a toe in range, let alone a toehold in the fight. It's all uphill from here for Murat as we enter the championship rounds in Moscow.

Round 8

Gassiev is still finding it difficult to get past Usyk, although the Russian seems to have realized the urgency of his situation in this fight and is in danger of letting the bout slip away from him as Usyk loads up with shots with the same confidence that he had during the first bell.

Round 7

This is the one round where you could make a case for Gassiev having won, although that case would be thrown out of court by any boxing judge. Gassiev lands one of his few meaningful punches of the fight with a right hook, which Usyk follows up with a flurry of his own and lands his right hook. This has to be a round for the Ukrainian in the books.

Round 6

Even clearer for Usyk in that round, as Gassiev cannot seem to find a way around the movement and fast hands of the Ukrainian, who moves like quicksilver away from each charge from the Russian fighter.

Round 5

Usyk appears to control the pace in that round with a beautiful commandeering jab to establish his ring generalship and even land lead right hooks around Gassiev's tight guard. Another round to the Ukrainian.

Round 4

A round of beautiful, vicious uppercuts from both men, Usyk's head movement is still the difference, allowing him to escape to the right and frustrate Gassiev. Snappy one-two combos from the WBC and WBO champion. Gassiev is always dangerous however, and the two men share and exchange in the final ten seconds, with Gassiev landing a beautiful short counter left hook right on the button. Too close to call.

Round 3

Usyk letting his hands go more in the third with fluid combinations and standing flat in front of Gassiev, who is lunging at times, leaving himself open to counter rights over the top. Usyk mixing it up to head and body too, have to say the Ukrainian nicked that round.

Round 2

Gassiev is finding the target with his trademark body shots and using his own head movement in the second to make Usyk miss, the crowd reacts every time the Russian lands and he landed a lot more in that round, in moments trapping the Ukrainian on the ropes in moments, until fleeting footwork carries Usyk to safety.

Round 1

Predictably cagey opening from both men, Usyk is working behind his jab and making Gassiev miss with clever head movement, making his wealth of amateur experience count. Opening round perhaps won by the Ukrainian in an electric atmosphere here in Moscow.

The fighters are in the ring. Mere moments remain until the fight of the year here in Moscow between two of the world's elite fighters in Alexander Usyk and Murat Gassiev!

Former Usyk foe Mairis Briedis wins his cruiserweight matchup against Frenchman Brandon Deslaurier by unanimous decision over 10 rounds to advance to 24-1 in his first fight since his epic WBSS semifinal with the Ukrainian. 

That's it for the undercard, not long now until the fight we've all been waiting for - Usyk v Gassiev for all the belts.

WBO & WBC champ Usyk, from Ukraine, takes on Russia's IBF & WBA champion Gassiev for the right to become the undisputed world champion and first ever holder of the coveted Muhammad Ali trophy.

The matchup is already being tipped for fight of the year honours between two undefeated fighters, with many struggling to pick a winner from the bout at the Russian capital's Olympiyskiy Sports Complex.