Oleksandr Usyk has dethroned world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in his own backyard, earning a unanimous points decision in front of 67,000 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The 34-year-old Ukraine put on a masterclass to silence the majority of the sell-out crowd inside the home of the English Premier League club.
Usyk proved too elusive for Joshua throughout an enthralling contest and finished with a final flurry in round 12, in search of a knockout.
Joshua stayed composed, but the decision was a formality as Usyk claimed the WBA, WBO, IBF belts, 117-112, 116-112, 115-113.
Usyk dominated the cruiserweight division for six years, winning his first 16 professional fights before making the jump to heavyweight in 2019.
Two wins earned the Ukrainian a shot at Joshua, who with a second career loss has scuppered his hopes of a unification showdown with fellow Briton Tyson Fury, the WBC holder, who takes on American Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas on October 10.
Joshua struggled to pull the trigger with his trademark right hand, frustrated by the head and foot movement of Usyk, who was landing his jab almost at will.
Usyk won the first three rounds, before Joshua finally gained some traction, but by the midway point of the fight, Usyk was in complete control.
"This means a lot for me," Usyk says.
"The fight went the way I expected it to go. There were moments when Anthony pushed me hard but it was nothing special.
"I had no objective to knock him out because my corner pushed me not to do that. In the beginning, I tried to hit him hard but then I stuck to my job."
Usyk becomes just the third cruiserweight world champion to step up a weight and become the heavyweight world champion after Evander Holyfield and David Haye.
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn says his fighter was "devastated" by the defeat, but they will welcome the mandatory rematch.
"Congratulations to Oleksandr Usyk," Hearn says.
"What a fighter. He put in a great performance and the better man won."
