Oleksandr Usyk dedicated his monumental victory over Tyson Fury to his late father.
The Ukrainian boxer beat the Gypsy King in a split decision fight that took place in Saudi Arabia, making him the undisputed heavyweight champion.
He has now become the first four-belt-era undisputed heavyweight champion, although the fight was not without controversy.
Usyk knocked Fury down in round nine after the Brit had done well to manage his opponent inside the ring.
The moment swung the momentum in favour of the 37-year-old and he left a formidable Fury bloody and beaten.
Every other round was a close contest and Fury’s camp were adamant that he won the fight despite his wobble towards the end.
“I know he’s in here.”
A highly emotional Oleksandr Usyk speaks about his late father ❤️#FURYUSYK PIC.TWITTER.COM/PTZL21WK0F
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) MAY 19, 2024
There will likely be a rematch later in the year, but for now, Usyk is relishing the moment.
In his post-fight press conference, he fought through tears and dedicated the win to his father, who passed away in 2012.
He said: “I miss my father and I said to him ‘You live there and I live here, please don’t come for me, I love you’.
“For me it is hard when my father comes back to me because I remember all life. I know he is here, maybe sitting out there [in the press room].
“I don’t think about boxing now, please.
“My camp started in September 2023, I worked for nine months.
“I missed Happy New Year, I missed my son’s birthday, I missed my other son’s birthday, I missed my daughter’s birthday and then the birth of my daughter.
“I also missed family holidays. I was only focused on this fight, now I’m happy and I want to go back home.”
