Thirty-six minutes. Twelve rounds. Two 40-something heavyweights putting every last drop of will on the line in front of a roaring O2 Arena. Deontay Wilder claimed the most meaningful win of his post-Fury career on Saturday night, grinding out a split decision over Derek Chisora — 115-111, 112-115, 115-113 — in a fight that was as much a battle of hearts as it was of fists.
This was not the explosive KO finish many predicted from the Bronze Bomber. It was messier, uglier, and more dramatic than that — which made it quintessentially Chisora. The Londoner went through the ropes twice, dug deep into reserves built over two decades in the sport, and still had one judge scoring it in his favour at the final bell. He may yet decline to call it a night.
Wilder’s celebration, however, told a different story. Moments after the verdict, he tracked down Anthony Joshua on the arena floor and delivered one of the bluntest post-fight challenges in recent memory: “Let’s do it. He’s scared as f**.”* The era of rebuilding is over. Wilder wants the big fights.
Read our pre-fight preview for the full tale of the tape and pre-fight analysis.
| Rd | Wilder Landed | Wilder Acc. | Power Acc. | Chisora Landed | Chisora Acc. | Power Acc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 6/23 | 26.1% | 37.5% | 6/20 | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| R2 | 9/31 | 29.0% | 30.4% | 13/27 | 48.1% | 50.0% |
| R3 | 9/30 | 30.0% | 26.3% | 9/23 | 39.1% | 44.4% |
| R4 | 17/38 | 44.7% | 48.3% | 9/20 | 45.0% | 50.0% |
| R5 | 16/38 | 42.1% | 37.5% | 4/24 | 16.7% | 25.0% |
| R6 | 14/32 | 43.8% | 47.8% | 18/35 | 51.4% | 55.6% |
| R7 | 12/29 | 41.4% | 47.6% | 5/26 | 19.2% | 26.7% |
| R8 | 12/32 | 37.5% | 35.7% | 11/32 | 34.4% | 41.7% |
| R9 | 14/35 | 40.0% | 43.5% | 10/33 | 30.3% | 64.3% |
| R10 | 9/29 | 31.0% | 42.1% | 14/37 | 37.8% | 41.2% |
| R11 | 15/34 | 44.1% | 46.7% | 13/36 | 36.1% | 56.3% |
| R12 | 10/34 | 29.4% | 26.7% | 13/28 | 46.4% | 71.4% |
| Total | 143/375 | 38.1% | 38.9% | 125/341 | 36.7% | 52.1% |
The headline numbers are closer than the scorecards suggest. Wilder landed 143 punches to Chisora’s 125 — a gap of just 18 across 12 rounds, roughly 1.5 punches per round. What the totals obscure is where the advantage was built.
Wilder’s jab was the decisive weapon. He connected on 38 of 115 jabs (33.0%) across the night, using his 9-inch reach advantage to dictate range and time Chisora’s entries. Chisora’s jab, by contrast, landed at only 19.8% (26/131) — the Londoner was firing his out of desperation rather than design. Wilder’s consistent jab output meant that on the rounds that mattered — R4 (17 landed, 44.7%), R5 (16 landed vs Chisora’s worst 4), R7, R9, R11 — he was invariably ahead.
Here is the counterintuitive number from this fight: Chisora’s power punch accuracy was 52.1% (99/190), compared to Wilder’s 38.9% (105/270). When Chisora did throw his right hand, it was landing more than half the time. The problem was volume — Wilder threw 270 power shots to Chisora’s 190, meaning the Bronze Bomber simply had more attempts at the decisive punch.
Chisora’s R6 (18/35, 51.4% total; power 15/27, 55.6%) and R12 (power accuracy 71.4% — 10 of 14 power shots landed) were rounds of genuine quality. In R12, Chisora’s power shot accuracy was extraordinary. It is why one judge, watching a different fight to the other two, scored 115-113 in Chisora’s favour — these late rounds gave him a compelling case on at least one card.
Round 5 may have decided the fight. Wilder landed 16 of 38 (42.1%) while Chisora connected with just 4 of 24 (16.7%) — his worst round of the evening. Wilder’s jab accuracy in this round hit 50% (7/14), establishing complete control at range. If Chisora could have found a response, the scorecards would have looked very different.
Wilder was generous in victory but honest about his tactics: “I took my foot off the gas to save Derek. All respect — he gave everything tonight.” The immediate pivot to Joshua, however, made his true agenda clear. Wilder is not done.
Chisora declared beforehand that this would be his final fight, but wavered when pressed afterwards. “I’m going to go home with the boss lady and see,” he said. At 42, with 49 fights behind him and a split-decision loss that could have gone either way, he may not be finished after all.
Both men produced exactly what the event title promised — 50 fights of accumulated bravery, on full display.
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