Tag: Oleksandr Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk has slammed claims that his age could be the decisive factor in  tomorrow’s undisputed world heavyweight title clash with Daniel Dubois.

Reigning WBA, WBO and WBC champion Usyk is 38, 11 years older than IBF belt holder Dubois.

That significant disparity has sparked suggestions the Ukrainian will struggle to go the distance against his 27-year-old British rival in the clash at Wembley.

But Usyk strongly disagreed with that assessment when asked if he might be vulnerable because of the age gap.

 “It’s your opinion? Maybe, I don’t know. I not feel (rattled),” Usyk told reporters. “Listen, I respect this guy, this young guy. This guy is motivated but I am too. I am not an old guy. 38 is not old, you know? We will see on Saturday.”

The pair are meeting for the second time, with Usyk having claimed a ninth-round stoppage victory in Poland in 2023.

Yet to lose in 23 professional fights, Usyk is hoping to become an undisputed champion for the third time.

Dubois has won his three fights since losing to Usyk, including a victory over compatriot Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September.

Lennox Lewis was the last Briton to hold undisputed status in the heavyweight division in 1999.

For Dubois to match that feat, the Londoner must dispatch accusations of mental fragility.

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Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas said Dubois was the “same guy” as two years ago and still had “weakness” in his mind.

That prompted the Briton’s trainer Don Charles to say Klimas must have been asleep.

 “While I was asleep, Usyk beat Tyson Fury twice,” Klimas said.

The Ukrainian clinched victory against Fury in May 2024 before defeating the ‘Gypsy King’ again in December.

But Dubois is determined to make history by silencing the doubters with a shock win against Usyk.

 “Right now I just want to get it on, I’m going to write my own script. They have their own script, I am going to write my own and win these belts and be the man,” said Dubois, who has 21 knockouts in 22 victories with just two defeats on his record.

“I’ve prepared right. I’m just on a different level now, I’m ready to come through whatever I need to on Saturday and get all them belts. I am chasing glory and I am chasing greatness.

 “This is history-making and I have just got to do a real demolition job. I’m hungry and ready for it.”

Before Dubois left the press conference, he fielded a question about an alleged bet of $500,000 placed on Usyk to win by multiple-weight world champion Canelo Alvarez.

 “It don’t mean nothing to me. He is going to lose his money, I am just focused now,” he said.

 “I know what I’ve got to do. I am a young lion and I just need to take over, be the man and execute him.”

World heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has offered Donald Trump the chance to live in his house in a bid to help the United States president understand the war in Ukraine.

Trump had vowed to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine “in 24 hours” if he was elected president. But there has been no end to Russia’s invasion since Trump returned to the White House in 2024.

Ukrainian boxer Usyk, who has been a tireless campaigner for peace in his homeland, believes Trump needs to have a clearer view of the dire situation if he is to find a solution to the crisis.

The 38-year-old has urged the president to join him at his house in Ukraine to see for himself the damage done by the war.

“I advise American President Donald Trump to come to Ukraine and live in my house for one week,” Usyk told BBC Sport .“Only one week. I will give him my house. Live please in Ukraine and watch what is going on every night.

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“Every night there are bombs and flights above my house. Bombs, rocket. Every night. It’s enough.”

Trump clashed with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky during a contentious summit meeting in the Oval Office in February. Trump warned Zelensky to show more gratitude for America’s help in peace talks before telling him to leave the White House.

Asked if Trump could be convinced to change his opinion, Usyk said: “I don’t know. Maybe he’ll understand, maybe he won’t.”

Usyk, who has won all 23 of his professional bouts, is currently in a training camp to prepare for a rematch with IBF champion Daniel Dubois on July 19 at Wembley.

But the WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion said the war is never far from his mind.

“I worry about what happens in my country. It’s very bad because Ukrainian people have died,” he said. “It’s not just military people, children, women, grandmothers and grandfathers, too.”

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered to start negotiations to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title against Joseph Parker.

The move that could end British fighter Daniel Dubois’ hopes of a re-match with the Ukrainian.

The WBO announced that Usyk, who also holds the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) belts, has 30 days to “reach terms” for a mandatory title defence against New Zealand’s Parker or the governing body will call for purse bids.

Parker defended his WBO interim title in Riyadh last month with a second-round stoppage of Martin Bakole, a late replacement after Dubois withdrew because of illness.

Rather than reschedule his bout against Parker, International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion Dubois had hoped for a return clash with Usyk, who defeated the Briton by ninth-round knockout in August 2023.

Dubois re-established himself in the heavyweight ranks with stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic before most recently knocking out compatriot Anthony Joshua, himself a former world champion, at Wembley in September to take his professional record to 22 wins, with two losses and 21 knockouts.

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The 27-year-old Dubois was understood to be in talks to face Usyk in a fight that would see all four major world heavyweight titles up for grabs but the WBO’s announcement has complicated the picture in a sport where the lack of a single global governing body means there are often multiple world champions in the same weight class.

Usyk defeated Britain’s Tyson Fury in May 2024 to become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in almost 25 years. But he vacated his IBF belt before the rematch, with Dubois elevated to full champion.

Former undisputed world cruiserweight champion Usyk, 38, extended his perfect professional record to 23 wins in as many bouts, with 14 stoppages, after defeating Fury in a re-match in December that meant he retained the unified WBC, WBA and WBO championships.

While Usyk was speaking immediately after being declared the winner by unanimous decision, Dubois entered the ring and interrupted the London 2012 gold medallist’s interview to demand a bout.

But it appears Parker, who held the WBO title from 2016 to 2018 and is on a six-fight winning streak since losing to Joe Joyce in 2022, has overtaken Dubois as the next contender to face Usyk.

In February, Usyk said he planned to have two more fights before retiring.

World heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk said he intends to take on two more fights before heading into retirement.

The 38-year-old Ukrainian, who remains undefeated in the ring, also said that one of those bouts will be against the winner of the Daniel Dubois v Joseph Parker clash later this month.

Usyk defeated Britain’s Tyson Fury to win all four of the major heavyweight titles last May, becoming the first undisputed champion in almost 25 years.

He gave up the IBF belt but retained the unified WBC, WBA and WBO championships with his repeat victory over Fury.

 “I think two years, one and a half (left in boxing),” Usyk told Sky Sports. “I feel great myself. I feel I have two fights to prepare for, not more. Just two.”

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He added: “I will fight (who wins) Joseph Parker, Daniel Dubois, no problem.”

English fighter Dubois, the reigning IBF champion, was defeated by Usyk in 2023 but is keen to avenge that loss should he get past New Zealand’s Parker in Riyadh on February 22.

 “I’m just getting better, improving. They say when you win a world title you improve. So I feel like that’s what’s happening with me, I’m ready to show what I can do again and conquer whoever they put in front of me,” Dubois told Sky Sports.

Tyson Fury will be fighting for his legacy and revenge as well as three heavyweight belts in his rematch against the superlative Oleksandr Usyk tomorrow.

The unpredictable Englishman suffered his first career defeat in May when Usyk won by split decision to become the first undisputed champion of the four-belt era.

Bookmakers and many neutral commentators favour the unbeaten Ukrainian, widely deemed the best pound-for-pound fighter, as they return to Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena seven months on.

Although the scoring was tight, in the ninth round Fury needed the ropes to keep him upright and was saved by the bell after a standing eight count.

Only three belts are now on the line as Usyk, committed to the lucrative rematch, vacated his IBF title rather than face mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois.

Fury, now 36, had gone 35 bouts unbeaten before facing Usyk, despite a rollercoaster career when he has struggled with depression, substance abuse and ballooning weight.

His preparations for the first unification clash in a generation were chaotic, after a cut in training forced a three-month postponement and reduced his ability to spar.

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In the final build-up his father, John, head-butted a member of Usyk’s entourage, and it was later revealed that Fury’s wife, Paris, suffered a miscarriage on the fight’s eve.

The “Gypsy King” has been more focused this time around and locked himself away in a three-month training camp in Malta when he says he did not speak to Paris or his children.

Yesterday, he refused to perform for the cameras at an open training session held under the gaze of a fake Sphinx at Riyadh’s Boulevard World theme park.

Wearing a hoody, leather jacket and a big, bushy beard, Fury strolled round the ring, laced up his gloves, took them off again and then fired some monosyllabic threats.

 “A lot of pain,” he said of Saturday’s fight. “Smash and damage.”

“A lot of hurt,” continued the Mancunian, ignoring the interviewer’s questions. “Hurt, serious hurt. A lot of damage.”

Usyk, by contrast, was smiling and exuberant, dancing and shadow boxing as pop star Artem Pivovarov, dangling from a lighting rig, belted out a Ukrainian hit.

“The first fight is in the past,” said the 37-year-old, adding that he felt “good, very comfortable in boxing and training”.

Fury, the former WBC champion, needs to beat Usyk tomorrow  to set up a trilogy fight and gloss over the one blemish on his career.

He has taken heart from his strong record in rematches, after knocking out both Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder in their trilogy bouts.

However, he could not encounter a tougher foe than Usyk, a former Olympic gold-medallist and undisputed cruiserweight champion whose record stands at 22-0.

While the Ukrainian southpaw gives up six inches in height and a big weight advantage to Fury, his footwork, speed and prodigious fitness have allowed him to prosper since stepping up to heavyweight.

In the top division, Usyk beat Chisora and twice overcame the towering Anthony Joshua, claiming his IBF, IBO and WBO belts, before knocking out Dubois and ending Fury’s unbeaten record.

British media have reported an increased prize purse of £150 million ($190 million), with Usyk expected to receive the lion’s share – unlike in May, when Fury was said to have banked 70 per-cent.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is investing heavily in sport to raise its profile, prompting regular accusations of “sportswashing”, or using sport to distract from its human rights record.