Oleksandr Usyk remains the shining king of the dark and chaotic world of boxing. The great Ukrainian retained his three world heavyweight titles when he beat Tyson Fury on points in a decisive fight in the early hours of Sunday morning in Riyadh. Usyk boxed with clinical authority and won comfortably with a score of 116-112 on all three cards.

The pace was relentless and ultimately Usyk was just too fast, too smart and too skilled for Fury. His movements, accuracy and precision when striking were simply too much for Fury, who tried bravely and had his moments of success. But Fury was fading and he looked exhausted at crucial moments in the fight as Usyk pulled away and secured his overall victory. After the result was announced, Fury left the ring without comment.

Fury first went to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” looking a little like Santa Claus himself in a red and white dress and his big, bushy beard that he let grow wild and free during his long training camp. Meanwhile, Usyk quickly strode to the ring with great seriousness and a look of fierce intensity on his face. Once he was between the ropes, he knelt in his corner and prayed.

Both fighters’ names were shouted by small groups of the crowd as they walked to the center of the ring to receive final instructions from the referee.

Fury, who weighed more than 50 pounds more than Usyk, was noticeably fleshy around the waist as they each moved around the center of the ring. Despite being the much smaller man, Usyk was desperate to find a way to get to the top, but Fury used his punches to great effect, overshadowing the first two rounds. But Usyk posed sharp movement puzzles, winning the third and fourth when he briefly rocked Fury.

Fury’s best round of the fight was the fifth, where he used his trademark uppercut with powerful force. Towards the end of the round, Usyk was forced to retreat, but in the sixth round, when the pace dropped for the first time, the champion hit Fury with a sharp left shot.

In the middle of the fight it was still a tie, but from the seventh round Usyk began to dominate. The huge difference in weight seemed to work against the massive Fury, who began to tire and took deep breaths. Usyk’s lateral movement and deft striking allowed him to move forward, and by the final third of the fight there was little doubt that he would retain his titles.

As the lights fell on the two fighters, the sweat glistened on Fury’s back as a sign of the effort he had put in. Usyk hopped, swayed and hopped, moving in and out befitting his nickname “the Cat,” then landing hard-hitting punches that bruised and marked his opponent’s face.

But the defeated Fury still fought bravely and there were some brutal exchanges in the final round. Looking for a knockout, Fury landed some heavy shots, but Usyk didn’t back down and fired back. It was an exciting conclusion to an exciting competition.

This was another exceptional performance for Usyk. The former undisputed cruiserweight world champion repeated the feat at heavyweight – clearly a division above his natural weight – and remains WBA, WBC and WBO champion. Boxing politics led to his IBF belt being stripped in the summer and handed to Daniel Dubois – who Usyk defeated last year. But there can be no doubting either the seriousness or the splendor of the true champion.

After suffering a split decision loss to Usyk in their first fight in May, Fury had locked himself into a 12-week training camp to prepare for the rematch. Apparently he has not spoken to his wife Paris once during the isolation of this brutal training regime and has stressed over the past week that his focus on Usyk has been burning and relentless.

But Fury also put on extra weight, with the clear strategy of using his enormous mass to physically dominate Usyk. Given his size advantage – Fury was half a foot taller than Usyk – the 36-year-old from Morecambe in Lancashire was keen to try and thrash the indomitable champion. Fury’s strategy didn’t work against a superior fighter.

Earlier this week, Usyk, 37, had to be persuaded to reflect on his impact on his country’s frayed morale. While trying to downplay his status, Usyk told a moving story about how news of his victory last May spread along the front lines of Ukrainian soldiers. Their fatigue turned to elation when they heard that he had overcome all odds to defeat Fury.

A second straight win over his giant opponent will feel all the sweeter now.

Usyk raised his arms, relief and joy coursing through him. This remarkable champion and his beleaguered but defiant country deserve to be praised for their enduring supremacy.