Chael Sonnen questions if patriotism for Ukraine fueled Oleksandr Usyk's victory over Tyson Fury: "Who wants it more?"

UFC veteran Chael Sonnen offered his thoughts on Oleksandr Usyk's victory and explained why the Ukrainian boxer wanted it more than Tyson Fury.

Usyk handed Fury a second defeat in their rematch on Dec. 21 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 'The Cat' secured victory by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring the fight 116-112. Usyk maintained his undefeated record, extending it to 23-0.

In his recent YouTube video, Sonnen questioned why Usyk wanted this victory more than Fury and emphasized the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. He said:

“Usyk beat Fury because he wanted it more. Now, we can only guess why. Is he that kind of competitor? Is he that gritty and determined, just like he was back in the Olympic Games when he was earning no money and simply trying to bring honor to his country? He was wearing headgear, so not only was he earning no money, but he wasn’t even gaining any fame. Nobody could recognize him, and when he spoke, we all thought it was a joke."

"Is he still that relentless, hungry fighter? Or was it because his country is being attacked, and he’s trying to bring honor to it? He had the president of the country supporting him. Was it something larger? Athletes do compete beyond their abilities, and it's very hard to isolate,” he added.

Check out Chael Sonnen’s comments below (11:51):

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Tyson Fury claims Oleksandr Usyk got a Christmas gift from the judges

Tyson Fury expressed his disappointment with the judges’ scorecards shortly after his fight against Oleksandr Usyk, claiming he had won at least three rounds.

He reiterated this during the post-fight press conference, taking a jab at the scoring in boxing matches. Fury also asserted that Usyk’s victory was handed to him as an early Christmas gift by the judges. ‘The Gypsy King’ said:

"Frank [Warren] had me three or four rounds up. A lot of people had me at least two. I just don't know, listen, it is what it is. I'm not going to cry over spilled milk, it's happened now. I know boxing, I've been in it all my life. You can't change no decisions. But I just always feel a little bit hard done by. Not a little bit, actually a lot. I think when you don't get the knockout, this is what happens. You can't guarantee a win... I felt a little bit of Christmas spirit in there and I think he got a little Christmas gift from the judges. Christmas gift early."

Check out Tyson Fury’s comments below: