Overshadowed by his towering opponent, Usyk had to weather a storm in the middle of the fight, but he roared back and forced Fury into a standing count in the ninth round as he fought his way to victory.
The 37-year-old Ukrainian is the first boxer to hold all four major heavyweight titles simultaneously and the first undisputed champion since the end of Lennox Lewis' reign in April 2000.
Usyk had the upper hand in the opening rounds before Fury hit his stride in the fourth, displaying a bit of showmanship as he began targeting Usyk with vicious body shots, but the Ukrainian fought back with several stinging reminders of his power.
Usyk turned the tide in the eighth round and few would have been surprised if the referee had stopped the fight in the ninth, when the Ukrainian's powerful punches to the head staggered Fury.
The previously undefeated Brit managed to hold on until the bell, but he struggled through the final three rounds of the fight as Usyk chased him down to give him an edge on the judges' scorecards.
“Thank you very much. … It's a great opportunity for me, for my family, for my country. … It's a great time, it's a great day,” a tearful Usyk said in a post-fight interview in the ring, adding that he would give Fury an immediate rematch.
In the co-main event, Australia's Jai Opetaia won a unanimous decision over Latvia's Mairis Briedis to win the vacant IBF cruiserweight title, and Ireland's Anthony Cacace scored a TKO victory over Wales' Joe Cordina to earn his IBO super- featherweight title and claim. the IBF belt.