LONDON — Former world champion Deontay Wilder sent Derek Chisora into retirement by edging their chaotic heavyweight fight in London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.

Subscribe to read this story ad-free

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.

The boxers, aged 40 and 42 respectively, threw hopeful knockout punches and barely jabbed. Both slipped and fell to the canvas frequently.

Wilder got the only knockdown in the eighth round, sending Chisora through the ropes, but the American was deducted a point in the same round for pushing. Chisora was rattled but Wilder didn’t press his advantage.

Wilder dominated the early rounds and Chisora rallied late. The judges were split: Wilder received scores of 115-111 and 115-113, and the third picked Chisora by 115-112.

Wilder said the fight was fun and suggested he didn’t want to knock out Chisora.

“Tonight, I looked out for him, I want him to live for his kids,” he told broadcaster DAZN. “It’s time for us to take care of each other.”

Chisora said in the buildup the fight was to be his last, but the Londoner was reluctant to confirm it afterwards.

“I’m going to go home with the boss lady and see,” he told DAZN. “I’m going to go home and drop the kids, do the school run.”

It was the 50th fight for both in the professional ranks.

Wilder improved his record to 45-4-1. The WBC titleholder from 2015-20 came to London having lost four of his last six fights.

Chisora’s record since 2007, when he turned pro a year before Wilder, dropped to 36-14. He lost his only two title shots against Vitali Klitschko in 2012 and Tyson Fury in 2022.