According to local media reports, the result of the tense standoff in the ring between the cousin of former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and Povetkin was unclear until the crunching round eight, when a powerful hit from Povetkin left a visible mark on Fury’s left cheekbone.
By the ninth round, Fury, 24, was visibly suffering from a cut that had opened up in the corner of his left eye as blood streamed down his face. This injury appeared to impede the agility of the British boxer.
In the 12th and final round, the contenders were seen giving their ultimate effort to defeat each other. The final bell, however, stopped the spectacular fight, as netizens described as a standoff between "youth and experience".
Alexander Povetkin - who turns 40 on Monday- won a unanimous points decision over Hughie Fury and claimed the WBA title.
This victory was the 35th for the Russian veteran, who has had just 2 losses in his entire professional career. Fury suffered his third consecutive defeat, in spite of 23 previous wins.