"Petty and shameful" - Fans skewer Tyson Fury for blaming Russia-Ukraine war after losing split decision to Oleksandr Usyk

Tyson Fury's first professional loss came shrouded in controversy, with the heavyweight champion questioning the judges' decision and suggesting the ongoing war in Ukraine influenced the outcome.

‘The Gypsy King’ lost a close split decision to Oleksandr Usyk in their undisputed heavyweight title fight on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Both fighters entered the bout undefeated.

After a closely contested first half, Usyk pulled ahead in the later rounds, securing a narrow victory on the judges' scorecards.

Following the fight, Fury expressed his disagreement with the judges' scorecards during his post-fight interview. The 35-year-old argued that Usyk's nationality, given the ongoing war in Ukraine, might have swayed the judge's decision in his favor.

Fury said:

"I believe I won that fight. I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won a majority of them... We both put on a good fight, the best we could do. And you know, his country's at war. So, people are siding with a country at war. Make no mistake, I won that fight, in my opinion, and I will be back with our rematch clause."

Check out Tyson Fury's post-fight ring interview below:

Fury's comments sparked outrage on social media, with fans accusing him of being disrespectful and using the war as an excuse for his loss. Many expressed their disapproval on the internet:

"Very petty and shameful from Fury. Usyk clearly won the fíght"

"Fury is a disgrace for his comments after the fight. Take the loss like a man. The ref was also awful. He let Fury hold and punch too much. Should've warned Fury."

Another fan wrote:

"The arrogance and nerve of this man has no boundaries"

Another added:

"Honestly shameful he blamed the war on Ukraine for the decision then say I'm not making excuses."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to Tyson Fury's comments