After eight rounds, the judges scored it: 75-74 Paul, 76-73 Fury and 76-73 Fury.

Fury, 23, the younger brother of heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury who starred in Love Island in 2019, said: "For the past two-and-half years, this is all that's consumed my life.

"Tonight I made my own legacy - I am Tommy Fury.

"I had a dream I would win, people doubted me, but everyone can take note now.

"I had the world on me, pressure on my shoulders and I came through.

"This is a world title fight to me, this is my destiny, my fate.

"This is my first main event. If he wants a rematch, bring it on!

"Jake Paul took some good shots - he's a far better boxer than I thought he was."

Paul, 26, an American YouTube star who made a name for himself on the social media platform Vine and made his professional boxing debut in 2020, said: "I felt flat - I got sick really bad twice in this camp, injured my arm.

"This wasn't my best performance, but that's no excuse.

"Don't judge me by my wins, I'll come back stronger."

Several celebrities including Mike Tyson and Cristiano Ronaldo attended the match in Saudi Arabia's Diriyah Arena in Riyadh.

Read more:
Who is Tommy Fury? The boxer and Love Island star fighting Jake Paul
Who is Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer taking on Tommy Fury?

The long-awaited fight - billed as "The Truth" - has already been postponed twice.

The bout was originally scheduled for December 2021, but Fury pulled out, citing a bacterial infection and broken rib - prompting Paul to brand him "boxing's biggest b****".

The fight was rescheduled for August 2022 in the US, but Fury pulled out again, this time due to visa issues.

Fury met his girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague on Love Island in 2019. The pair welcomed their first child in January.