Oleksandr Usyk Archives

BOXING

Anthony Joshua gets big Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings boost without throwing a punch

By Admin March 1, 2025

Anthony Joshua has risen two places in the latest Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings.

The Watford powerhouse hasn’t stepped foot in the ring since being flattened by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September.

However, he has moved up from No.7 to No.5 in the heavyweight top 10 following Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole’s defeats last weekend on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II undercard.

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Zhang was stopped by a sickening body shot from Agit Kabayel in the sixth round of their WBC ‘interim’ heavyweight clash.

Meanwhile, Bakole got knocked out by a clubbing blow from Joseph Parker that caught him on the top of the head.

The Congolese heavyweight stepped in to replace Daniel Dubois on two days’ notice and embarked on a 3,800 mile trip from Congo to Saudi Arabia that required three connecting flights.

Bakole received significant praise from the boxing fraternity for taking the fight despite the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against him, although the defeat did cost him dearly.

Not only did he lose the IBF final eliminator status for his upcoming clash with Efe Ajagba but he also dropped one place in the Ring Magazine rankings.

Bakole was placed No.6 in the previous ratings while Zhang was ranked No.4.

As a result of their recent setbacks, Bakole fell to No.7 and Zhang plummeted to No.6.

Kabayel rose from No.5 to No.4 after his career-best win, with AJ slotting in one position behind the German.

Parker and every other heavyweight remained in their original positions.

Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings

*Position*	*Boxer*
Champion	Oleksandr Usyk
1	Tyson Fury
2	Daniel Dubois
3	Joseph Parker
4	Agit Kabayel (up 1)
5	Anthony Joshua (up 2)
6	Zhilei Zhang (down 2)
7	Martin Bakole (down 1)
8	Filip Hrgovic
9	Fabio Wardley
10	Efe Ajagba

Oleksandr Usyk, the WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion is recognised as champion by The Ring while Tyson Fury remains at No.1 despite seemingly being retired.

Fury was removed from all four major sanctioning body rankings last month when he took to social media to announce he was hanging up his gloves for a fourth time.

“Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet,” Fury said shortly after suffering a second consecutive defeat to Usyk.

“I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing, it has been a blast, I’ve loved every single minute of it and I’m going to end with this; Dick Turpin wore a mask.”

Dubois holds onto his No.2 spot, as does No.3 Parker while No.8 Filip Hrgovic, No.9 Fabio Wardley and No.10 Efe Ajagba complete the list.

There are minor changes to the Ring Magazine pound-for-pound rankings as well with Bivol and Beterbiev switching places at No.4 and No.5 after Bivol avenged his defeat to his fellow countryman last weekend to be crowned undisputed light heavyweight champion.

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BOXING

Oleksandr Usyk fight ‘probably not happening’ as Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua lined up

By Admin February 28, 2025

WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker has admitted that he has no faith that a fight against Oleksandr Usyk will be available for him.

Parker, 33, called out the unified WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight champion soon after knocking out Martin Bakole, who stepped in to fight the New Zealander in Saudi Arabia after Daniel Dubois pulled out of their bout with illness.

Parker is on a tremendous run of form having beaten Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Bakole in his last three bouts. He has not held a heavyweight championship since he was beaten by Anthony Joshua via unanimous decision in 2018 for the unified WBA, IBF and WBO titles.

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While many believe Parker has earned a shot at Usyk, the Ukrainian instantly rejected his call-up, stating he is only interested in a rematch with Dubois so he can reclaim his IBF title and become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion. Responding to the current situation, Parker admits he does not understand why he is not in the title picture.

Speaking on the Ariel Helwani show, Parker said: “It feels like we are so close to fighting for real titles and then, all of a sudden, he [Dubois] got sick and now they are lining up this big fight between Usyk and Dubois. I’m not sure what we need to do in order to lock in a championship of the world fight.

“I think we have done everything asked of us and hopefully we can lock it in soon. I would love the opportunity just to test myself against Usyk. He is a great fighter and I’d love to see what I am capable of doing against someone like that.

“If I could fight someone, it would be Usyk. Dubois, we did have that fight locked in and he pulled out, still with no explanation. Any of those two would be amazing.”

On the chances of him potentially being matched up against Usyk, the Kiwi replied: “Not too confident that, that’ll be next. That’ll be best if that did happen, but, as you know, boxing has a lot of things that happen behind the scenes that we don’t really know and we don’t really hear off. There’s things always being lined up. But I am not sure [a fight against Usyk] will happen next.

“I honestly have no idea who will be next, but I would fight anyone and everyone to get my chance to fight for the championship of the world. So not too sure. What can we do? What should we do in this kind of situation? Do we set it out and wait for the winner of that fight [Usyk vs Dubois] or do we keep busy and keep progressing and keep fighting other top fighters?”

With Parker’s two opponents of choice, Usyk and Dubois, looking more likely to fight each other than him, the former WBO world champion suggested he would relish an opportunity to rematch Joshua. He added: “But, as we focus on myself and my career, I think those three names [Usyk, Dubois, Joshua] will be the next in line.”

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BOXING

Oleksandr Usyk mandatory farce continues as final showdown opens up

By Admin February 26, 2025

Oleksandr Usyk is set for a second shot at undisputed in winning back the title he should never have lost outside the ring.

World Boxing News understands that a rematch with Daniel Dubois is now Turki Alalshikh’s number-one choice following last weekend’s action in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With all four titles at stake, the clash could happen in the region or the United Kingdom by June.

Dubois was freed up by a bout of illness suffered during the build-up to Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2, where the Londoner was forced to pull out of a battle with Joseph Parker. The February 22 event went on without ‘DDD,’ who was one of two fighters who eventually cried off the card.

READ: Anthony Joshua Hellbent on Booking Super Fight

Usyk and Dubois could now meet for the second time following a knockout by the Ukrainian in August 2023 that came with a touch of controversy over a low blow. Dubois thought he’d put Usyk on the canvas, only for the referee to call a foul. Usyk then took several minutes to get himself together.

UK fans wanted Dubois to be declared the fight’s winner via KO after Usyk had defeated Anthony Joshua twice. Authorities ruled in favor of Usyk, who won via TKO and beat another Briton, Tyson Fury, in a second double triumph.

The heavyweight division has since become cloudy as mandates pile up, with only Dubois getting his shot when Joe Joyce, Zhilei Zhang, Parker, and, more recently, Agit Kabayel have all held interim titles.

A most likely scenario for Alalshikh to devise is a heavyweight double-header, which would see Usyk vs. Dubois accompanied by Parker vs. Kabayel in a semi-final, much like the Day of Reckoning card that ruined fans’ chances of seeing Deontay Wilder vs. Joshua in 2024.

Parker is already unhappy that he missed out on facing Dubois for the IBF title. The New Zealander will be even more annoyed that Dubois could now make a diversion and face Usyk for all the gold.

Usyk's face as Martin Bakole gets wiped out by Jospeh Parker in two.

🎥 @boxingontnt pic.twitter.com/6V2PGq6CQR

— World Boxing News (@WorldBoxingNews) February 23, 2025

Discussing the situation in Saudi Arabia, Parker said, “I think there’s going to be a fight with Usyk and Dubois lined up because everyone is talking about it now. Possibly, I’ll have one more fight [likely Kabayel] before fighting for the world championship. It sucks not fighting for the world championship.

“Since I lost it [the WBO title he won against Andy Ruiz] in 2018, I’ve been working hard to get back to fighting for the title. To get a chance to fight for it [the IBF title], it vanishes in front of you two days before the fight. At that time, I didn’t care. I was focused on the fight date and staying switched on for whoever was going to be in front of me. Now the [Bakole] fight is done, it doesn’t feel right,” he added.

The added pressure of having two interim champions, Parker [WBO] and Kabayel [WBC], gives Alalshikh an easy option to appease two of the sanctioning bodies.

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BOXING

(VIDEO) Anthony Joshua & Oleksandr Usyk’s Ringside Reaction to Joseph Parker’s Brutal Martin Bakole KO

By Admin February 24, 2025

Leaked footage of Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk reacting live to Joseph Parker’s brutal second-round knockout win over Martin Bakole has gone viral on social media.

Parker was originally supposed to fight Daniel Dubois, and the two resurgent heavyweights had generated excitement for their participation in the Riyadh Season event that took place on the 22nd of February, with Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev in the main event. Dubois, though, withdrew citing illness, which was an absence that left organizers scrambling for a late-replacement opponent. The fighter who boxing financier Turki Alalshikh drafted in, Bakole, ensured there was no hype lost as the heavyweight, in his last fight, halted the ascendance of Jared Anderson by thumping him into smithereens last summer.

Joshua, who defeated Parker in 2018, and Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion, watched with interest from ringside as Parker beat Bakole down and out for good.

READ: Turki Alalshikh hints at Tyson Fury return for blockbuster Anthony Joshua showdown

As Parker put his fight-finishing punches together, Usyk and Joshua — watching from ringside sitting next to each other — sensed early drama was about to unfold and reacted hilariously, like they were excitable kids watching the sport with fresh eyes, and seeing a live knockout for the very first time.

Watch the viral footage right here:

Parker, without question, scored the knockout of the night. His co-feature win over Bakole preceded an electric main event between master light heavyweight fighters Bivol and Beterbiev, with the former scoring a revenge win over the latter. Though a trilogy fight is a logical bout to make next, Bivol could be enticed should Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez pursue a lucrative rematch with him. Canelo has hinted in the past that a second Bivol fight, between 168 and 175 pounds, is a preferential option for him over fighting David Benavidez.

Earlier in the show, Vergil Ortiz scored a career-defining win with a decision over Israil Madrimov, and Carlos Adames and Hamzah Sheeraz were inseparable, with judges offering a split draw for the middleweight fight.

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BOXING

Usyk vs Dubois 2: Daniel Dubois set for rematch with heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk

By Admin February 24, 2025

Daniel Dubois rose from his sickbed and stepped straight into mega-millions negotiations to fight Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.

Talk about landing on your feet!

When Dynamite Daniel was medically advised to withdraw from the defence of his IBF title against Joseph Parker he sustained losses in excess of £7million from Saturday’s bonanza purse plus months of expenditure on his training camp.

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And the cynics started rumouring that he had ducked Parker!

The credible conversations here in the new fight capital of the world concern a shift from the plan for Usyk to fight the winner between Dubois and Parker.

Now big-time boxing’s Saudi paymasters envisage Dubois and Usyk providing the gala opening in October of the next Riyadh Season of sport, culture and entertainment.

At a stroke overnight a worry that Dubois might be derailed, temporarily at least, from his bid for greatness dissipated.

His promoter Frank Warren made this guarded observation: ‘Perversely, this setback with his illness is opening up more tremendous opportunities for Daniel.’

Robert Smith, general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control who sanction these huge promotions in Saudi Arabia and endorsed the diagnosis of swollen glands says: ‘Daniel could not be allowed to box this weekend but oddly this might make it easier for him to secure the fight with Usyk.’

So it seems. The Ukrainian maestro who became the first undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis a quarter century ago came here expecting to watch Dubois and Parker decide which of them he would fight next.

After watching Parker burst the gigantic balloon of Martin Bakole, the last-second replacement for Dubois, Usyk made it clear he would not mind waiting a few months before restoring the IBF belt to his collection and banking another fortune. He said: ‘I am enjoying my rest with my family since beating Tyson (Fury) again (just nine weeks ago).

‘I plan for only two more fights to end my career. Yes, only two. I thought Joseph might win here but if it is to be Daniel next, okay.’

That stands to be their second meeting. Usyk stopped Dubois in the ninth round in Poland in August 2023, leaving Team Dynamite complaining that a body shot which dropped him earlier in the fight should not have been ruled a low blow.

Parker is the most aggrieved party now. When Dubois pulled out on Thursday he found himself obliged to go through another giant road block instead of fighting for a world title.

Bakole did not arrive from his Congo homeland until Saturday morning and although he would be jet-lagged and massively overweight at well over 300 lbs Parker was advised not to accept this problematic, menacing monster as the replacement.

A proud Samoan warrior in his blood-line, this renascent former world champion Kiwi and one of the most likeable boxers in the hard old game said: ‘To hell with it. I’ll deal with him.’ So he did. Landing a warning salvo from the first bell. Absorbing three or four hefty clubbings. Then bringing Bakole down in round two like King Kong from the top of the Empire State Building. With with a right-hand blow to the top of the temple reminiscent of the so-called Phantom Punch with which Muhammad Ali knocked out the fearsome Sonny Liston in their second fight.

Job brilliantly done, Parker said: ‘Right. So where’s my world title fight now?’ Not against London’s Daniel Boy it appears. But he did raise one important question. Will Usyk v Dubois be for the undisputed title or the unification of three of the four championship belts?

The WBC, WBA and IBF are in unison. But the WBO decided at the weekend that the winner of Dubois and Parker will be the mandatory challenger for their belt. If Parker is to be squeezed out of the main equation, his best recourse will be to fight someone else for what would be the vacant WBO belt.

That is the least he deserves, even it hastens the break-up of the undisputed regime.

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VIDEO: Oleksandr Usyk turns down Joseph Parker straight away and agrees to another fight

By Admin February 23, 2025

Heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk dismissed Joseph Parker’s challenge as he set his sights on a different opponent.

Parker stopped Martin Bakole in Saudi Arabia within two rounds to become the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s WBO title.

The New Zealander had been lined up to fight IBF titleholder Dubois, but the British fighter dropped out last Thursday due to illness. Despite the possibility of rescheduling the bout with Dubois, Parker aimed higher after his win against Bakole, expressing his desire to face the world’s number one heavyweight.

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“Who’s next? Can I fight for the world title next? If Usyk wants a dance partner, I’d like to fight for the world title,” he said post-fight.

However, Usyk, who was present at the Riyadh show, declared his preference for Dubois as he aims to re-unify the four major heavyweight championships. He said via Boxing King: “I want the next fight with Daniel Dubois, undisputed.”

When questioned about the potential venue for their rematch, the Ukrainian said: “London, Riyadh Season, doesn’t matter.” He even entertained the thought of fighting at Wembley Stadium, with its near 100,000 boxing capacity, adding confidently: “Yeah, yeah. I’m ready, bro.”

With Dubois currently unburdened by any mandatory defence obligations for his IBF belt, he is free to choose his next opponent, potentially setting the stage for a rematch with Usyk. Their previous encounter in Poland in 2023 ended with Usyk claiming a contentious ninth-round stoppage victory.

Meanwhile, Dubois is set to suffer a “massive financial loss” after pulling out of the Parker fight. His promoter, Frank Warren, said: “If you don’t fight, you don’t get paid; imagine the cost of a training camp, booking places, setting the camp up, bringing the sparring partners in, nutritionists, chefs, trainers, and you don’t get paid.

“It’s a massive loss, you can’t insure it, if you do it costs a fortune to insure. It was an unbelievable purse he was getting for the fight but we are where we are: if you’re not well, you can’t fight.”

“I’m always telling the fighters I don’t want to hear after the event if anything goes wrong that you had a bad hand, or a cold, or your budgie died – none of that matters, you live to fight another day.”

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Oleksandr Usyk receives good news on Daniel Dubois clash from WBO after next fight plan hits snag

By Admin February 22, 2025

Oleksandr Usyk could get his wish of fighting Daniel Dubois next after ‘Triple D’s’ withdrawal from his clash with Joseph Parker.

Dubois was due to defend his IBF heavyweight title against Parker as chief support for Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s rematch on Saturday night.

However, Dubois fell ill with a viral infection and was subsequently removed from the bill on the doctors’ advice.

READ: Oleksandr Usyk Names The One Heavyweight Who Was Harder To Beat Than Tyson Fury

As a result, Martin Bakole has stepped in on two days’ notice to replace the Brit.

Prior to the shocking development, WBA, WBO and WBC champion, Usyk told talkSPORT.com of his intentions to box the winner of Dubois vs Parker for the undisputed crown in his penultimate professional outing.

“We wait for a fight on February 22 between Daniel and Joseph,” he said during an exclusive interview on the London Eye.

“Whoever wins this fight between Daniel and Joseph, I have already made the fight.”

But following the collapse of Dubois vs Parker, Usyk has now shifted his attention to the champion.

“I want to fight next with Dubois,” he told DAZN.

As Dubois is out of the fight, the IBF belt is also off the table.

Parker will instead defend his WBO ‘interim’ title against Bakole to decide Usyk’s next mandatory challenger.

The WBO has the power to order Usyk to fight the winner of Bakole vs Parker next, but newly elected president Gustavo Olivieri has told talkSPORT.com that they will also consider the possibility of stepping aside and allowing Usyk to box Dubois in a four-belt shootout should the relevant parties push for it.

“The winner of Bakole-Parker will be mandatory for Usyk,” Oliveri told talkSPORT.com

“The question is when will the mandatory will be enforced.

“It remains to be seen because of the existence of a rotation agreement (order of mandatories) between the sanction bodies.

“Most likely, the WBO is next in line, however, if a unification request (Usyk vs Dubois) is submitted to the Championship Committee, it would certainly be considered as unifications take precedence over mandatories and serve the best interests of boxing.”

The WBO has always favoured making unification fights over ordering mandatories so it appears a Usyk vs Dubois rematch for the undisputed crown is a real possibility for both of their next fights.

Usyk knocked out Dubois in August 2023, but en route to the eventual stoppage the Ukrainian was dropped by a punch that divided the boxing world.

Some claimed the shot was legal and should have been counted while others insisted it had strayed low.

Ultimately, the referee determined it was an illegal blow and so Usyk was given four minutes to recover before coming back to stop Dubois in the ninth round with a stiff jab.

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Oleksandr Usyk Names The One Heavyweight Who Was Harder To Beat Than Tyson Fury

By Admin February 20, 2025

Oleksandr Usyk has taken on all challenges across two weight divisions culminating in 24 rounds with Tyson Fury, though he says ‘The Gypsy King’ didn’t give him his toughest fight.

Usyk has been in unstoppable form almost all of his boxing career. He won plenty of amateur accolades and ended with a gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012. As soon as he turned pro, he soon picked up momentum in the cruiserweight division and, by 2018, had beaten become the undisputed champion.

He then moved up to the top division and soon settled in with wins over Chaz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora before taking on the long-ruling unified champion Anthony Joshua.

READ: Daniel Dubois Reveals Who Hit Harder Between Oleksandr Usyk And Anthony Joshua

Usyk took a points victory then repeated the feat in the rematch. In August 2023 he took on his mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois and, after being down from a controversial low blow, he scored the stoppage win in the 9th round.

That set up an undisputed fight with the then-unbeaten Fury, who Usyk bettered on points after another tight 12 round contest.

Alongside Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue, that made him a historic two-weight undisputed champion. Last time out in December the Ukrainian southpaw again beat ‘The Gypsy King’ and sent him into retirement, for now at least.

However, he recently revealed to talkSPORT Boxing that it was in fact ‘Del Boy’ who gave him his hardest night.

“I think it is Derek. My friend Derek. Hey, Derek I am coming for you! Derek is a terrible guy, really tough. It’s just hard [fighting] Derek. He was just very difficult.”

Chisora’s 49th contest came earlier this month when he beat Otto Wallin by late KO. He is now looking for a 50th and final opponent later this year after a thrilling career with plenty of ups and downs. Though Usyk won their contest unanimously back in 2020, many have credited the Brit with laying the blueprint for the best way to get to the Ukrainian.

Usyk is now waiting around to once again challenge for undisputed honours against whoever wins the IBF title fight between Dubois and Joseph Parker. A callout from Chisora for a rematch in his 50th fight likely won’t come to anything.

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Daniel Dubois Reveals Who Hit Harder Between Oleksandr Usyk And Anthony Joshua

By Admin February 18, 2025

Daniel Dubois has been in the ring with both Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, and may be again soon.

The young Brit’s first world title tilt came against Usyk in August of 2023 after the Ukrainian had taken three of the four major belts from Joshua and defended them in a rematch.

Dubois tried to impose himself on the southpaw champion but was largely unsuccessful save for a moment in the fifth round when he would drop Usyk. It was immediately ruled a low blow and Usyk was given ample time to recover before getting back into his rhythm and scoring his first stoppage in three fights. Dubois was put down in both the eighth and ninth before failing to stand for the referee’s count.

READ: Anthony Joshua Offered Fast Track To World Title Shot But Warned It Could Be ‘Career-Ending’

While Usyk went on to become undisputed champion with a win over Tyson Fury, Dubois bounced back with wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, fighting himself into a position to hold the interim IBF belt and subsequently the full title when Usyk vacated it.

His first defence came against Joshua at Wembley Stadium, and the 28-year-old would retain his strap with an assured and destructive performance that saw him drop ‘AJ’ three times before the fifth round stoppage. Joshua did land a few heavy shots of his own in an attempt to turn the tide, one of which Dubois says felt like a ‘bomb going off.’

Despite that, in a recent feature with the Ring Magazine ‘DDD’ said Tyson Fury, who he has only sparred, hits harder than Joshua and that Usyk hits harder than Fury. A surprising outcome given ‘AJ’ is known as the knockout puncher between the three.

Dubois puts his belt on the line against Joseph Parker this weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a win all but guaranteeing him a rematch with Usyk for the undisputed championship.

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Oleksandr Usyk Announces Major U-Turn And Rules Out Facing World Champion Next

By Admin February 17, 2025

Oleksandr Usyk completed his quest to conquer the heavyweight division with a second victory over Tyson Fury in December.

The 38-year-old from Ukraine successfully defended his unified WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles with a unanimous decision win against ‘The Gypsy King’ on December 21 in Riyadh, effectively cementing himself as the greatest heavyweight of his generation.

With other victories over the likes of Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois and Derek Chisora, the 38-year-old Ukrainian has beaten all-comers at heavyweight since he made his divisional debut back in 2020.

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua Offered Fast Track To World Title Shot But Warned It Could Be ‘Career-Ending’

Usyk recently confirmed he will be continuing with his career, after it was speculated that he could finally draw the curtain on his glittering tenure which began not long after he captured Olympic Gold at the 2012 games in London.

Before his second fight against ‘The Gypsy King’ the Ukrainian made it clear he planned a stunning return to cruiserweight to attempt to regain the belts he once held at 200lbs.

“I try cruiserweight again. I try [to be undisputed cruiserweight again].”

One man who was willing to welcome Usyk back at his old division was current IBF and Ring magazine champion Jai Opetaia. His promoter Eddie Hearn made it clear that a fight against the Ukrainian was their long term target.

“The medium focus right now is every belt in the division and the long term focus is to fight Usyk for the unified heavyweight world championship. I believe he is the only fighter who can give Usyk a real fight over the next 12-18 moths.”

The Australian himself said it was a fight he would ‘take with both hands’.

“I’m always open for it, I would never knock down a fight like that. That’s a fight I would take with both hands, 100%.”

When asked about the possibility of facing Opetaia, Usyk originally kept the door open for the potential matchup.

“I don’t know, maybe. He’s [Opetaia] a great fighter.”

However, in a recent interview with Sky Sports Boxing, Usyk has now u-turned on his original plan and ruled out ever heading back down to 200lbs, claiming it would ‘not be possible’ to lose the weight again.

“Now I think it’s not possible because six years I work to grow my weight, and I work, work, work and eating, it’s really hard.”

It’s been confirmed that he will face the winner of the IBF heavyweight title fight between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker next.

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