Ignacio Robles Will Replace Fernando Barbosa As Third Judge For Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk Rematch

Fernando Barbosa had been set to score the bout in Riyadh, but he withdrew due to illness late on Thursday before he could fly to Saudi Arabia.

The third judge for Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s heavyweight championship rematch has been confirmed, with a coin toss settling the dispute between rival camps ahead of tonight’s showdown in Saudi Arabia.

Fernando Barbosa had been set to score the bout in Riyadh, but he withdrew due to illness late on Thursday before he could fly to Saudi Arabia.

But with Fury and Usyk’s teams split on which judge should replace Barbosa, the third judge in the hotly-anticipated clash at the Diriyah Arena will be Ignacio Robles.

As reported by The Independent earlier on Thursday, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren reportedly suggested that a coin toss should settle the issue after camps couldn’t agree on a replacement for Barbosa.

And it has now been confirmed that Robles will join officials Pat Morley and Gerardo Martinez at ringside. Steve Weisfeld, who made the journey to Saudi Arabia on Thursday night, was also in contention, but the coin toss determined Robles will officiate instead.

In the first contest between Usyk, 37, and Fury, 36, the Ukrainian earned scorecards of 115-112 (judge Manuel Oliver Palomo) and 114-113 (Mike Fitzgerald), while the Brit snatched the other card (114-113, Craig Metcalfe).

The Independent scored the bout 115-112 to Usyk, and most observers agreed that the former cruiserweight king was a rightful winner. Yet Fury accused the judges of favouring Usyk due to Ukraine’s ongoing invasion by Russia.

The undefeated heavyweight champion slammed the standard of officiating at the City of Manchester Stadium, and he questioned why Metcalfe scored the eighth round in his favour despite feeling that Usyk had won more frames.

“I’m not going to lie, I thought I got robbed. I don’t know how they scored it like that, to be honest,” Fury told reporters in Manchester.

“I thought I lost the eighth round, I thought Usyk won the eighth round. I don’t know how they scored it like that. I’m not going to sit here and complain about the judges’ decision because I’m not a sore loser. But I’m a little bit surprised by the scores.”

Saturday’s rematch will also feature an AI judge, according to Saudi adviser Turki Al-Sheikh, though they will not impact the official scoring.

Usyk’s victory seven months ago kept him unbeaten and crowned him the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years, while Fury suffered defeat for the first time.