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How Paris Fury and Yekaterina Usyk spent battle of the century

Watching your husband going 12 rounds in a bid to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world is never going to be the easiest – and Paris Fury has sensationally admitted she wasn’t ringside to watch the Gypsy King in Saudi Arabia last night.

Posting to Instagram today, sharing a photo of the couple shortly after they were married in 2008, she told Tyson, who lost on points to Oleksandr Usyk in the historic match at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, that she would ‘never not be at your side for a fight again’.

Yesterday the mother-of-seven, who has been with the 6ft 9 boxer since they met at a wedding in 2005 when he was 17 and she was 15, had shared her anxiety in an Instagram post ahead of the fight, saying she was a ‘bag of nerves’.

She later wasn’t pictured at the historic match, and admitted beforehand that she hated watching her husband in the ring. 

Today, she posted the photo of the couple in their younger years, writing: ’19 and 20 on this newly married, love him more than ever, best man in my eyes. 

‘Will never not be at your side for a fight again. Even though I couldn’t be there, I wished I was.’ 

Mother-of-seven Paris Fury took to Instagram today to say she couldn't watch her husband's fight of the century in Riyadh, and vowed to always be by his side for future fights, after clearly regretting the decision to stay away

Mother-of-seven Paris Fury took to Instagram today to say she couldn’t watch her husband’s fight of the century in Riyadh, and vowed to always be by his side for future fights, after clearly regretting the decision to stay away

Paris also shared a caption using the traditional marriage vows in her post

Paris also shared a caption using the traditional marriage vows in her post

Tyson's wife Paris was nowhere to be seen ahead of the match, staying quiet on socials except to share a reel of her husband, in which she admitted she was a 'bag of nerves'

Tyson’s wife Paris was nowhere to be seen ahead of the match, staying quiet on socials except to share a reel of her husband, in which she admitted she was a ‘bag of nerves’ 

Paris then added in the traditional ‘to have and to hold’ marriage vows to the post.   

Posting a reel yesterday of Tyson holding a ‘victory cigar’ between his lips before the fight, she captioned the video: ‘[He’s] Calm as you like, and I’ve been a bag of nerves all day’. 

The 34-year-old had been honest with reporters too about hating watching her husband fight. She said: ‘I hate it I’ve got to be truthful, that’s the flat out answer. I support him but I don’t enjoy it. I hate being there but on the other hand, I feel like I have to be there.

‘I feel like, if I’m not there, what happens if something goes wrong and I’m not with him? 

Victory kiss: Oleksandr Usyk kisses his wife, Yekaterina, share a kiss after judges found him the winner in a closely fought match against Tyson Fury

Victory kiss: Oleksandr Usyk kisses his wife, Yekaterina, share a kiss after judges found him the winner in a closely fought match against Tyson Fury

Yekaterina embraced the limelight at the historic match at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, posing for a snap with fellow Ukrainian, ex boxer Wladimir Klitschko ahead of the fight

Yekaterina embraced the limelight at the historic match at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, posing for a snap with fellow Ukrainian, ex boxer Wladimir Klitschko ahead of the fight

The Gypsy King, 35, lost to the Ukrainian following a vote by the judge in what was billed as one of the biggest fights of the millennium, as they went head-to-head in the first undisputed heavyweight title clash in 25 years

The Gypsy King, 35, lost to the Ukrainian following a vote by the judge in what was billed as one of the biggest fights of the millennium, as they went head-to-head in the first undisputed heavyweight title clash in 25 years

Meanwhile Oleksandr Usyk’s wife looked the epitome of a glamourous boxing wag throughout in photos she shared to her own Instagram of the occasion.

As her Ukrainian fighter husband proved victorious in the ring, beating Tyson Fury in front of a sell-out crowd, Mrs Usyk cut an elegant figure as she watched from the sidelines, before moving in for a winning kiss when the judges’ results proved in her man’s favour. 

Mother-of-three Yekaterina, pictured far right, looked elegant in a cream wide-legged trouser suit

Mother-of-three Yekaterina, pictured far right, looked elegant in a cream wide-legged trouser suit

The Ukrainian shared a reel of photos of herself embracing her husband after he won the title

The Ukrainian shared a reel of photos of herself embracing her husband after he won the title 

The victory sees Usyk become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in this centur

The victory sees Usyk become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in this century

Wearing a cream wide-legged trouser suit and her brunette hair loose and flowing, the boxer’s wife was seen posing with friends and Ukrainian former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko ahead of the fight. 

Oleksandr and Yekaterina – who have three children, Kyrylo, Mykhalio and Yelizaveta, together, had to flee their home in Vorzel, Bucha when Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022. 

Cristiano Ronaldo (middle) was situated on the front row, sat next to Anthony Joshua (left) at the high-profile fight

Cristiano Ronaldo (middle) was situated on the front row, sat next to Anthony Joshua (left) at the high-profile fight

Meanwhile, Fury made the stunning claim that 'people are siding with the country at war'

Meanwhile, Fury made the stunning claim that ‘people are siding with the country at war’

It might not be too long before a rematch is on the cards between the two men. 

After last night’s match, Fury is set to bank another £100million if he agrees to a second fight after losing for the first time last night – as the Ukrainian fighter became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four belt era.

The judges on the night scored the bout 115-112 Usyk, 114-113 Fury and 114-113 Usyk to see Usyk win via split-decision – but the pre-bout deal the two boxers signed lines up a second encounter.

Fury claimed afterwards that the judges favoured Usyk due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It has also been revealed that triumphant Usyk, 37, was rushed to hospital with a suspected broken jaw instead of attending a post-match press conference.

The battle was a tale of two halves at the Kingdom Arena, after 35-year-old Fury dominated the opening rounds before Usyk came back to control the fight with a flurry of punches in the ninth round leaving the Gypsy King floundering.

After the final round, there was mutual respect between the two fighters who exchanged kisses and hugs as they awaited the result.