OLEKSANDR Usyk has faced five British opponents during his unbeaten career, and ahead of his rematch with Daniel Dubois, he’s shared some unfiltered thoughts on them.
In his previous eight fights Usyk has fought UK fighters on seven occasions and won every time.
Having become undisputed cruiserweight champion in July 2018 Usyk travelled to Manchester four months later where former WBC champion Tony Bellew awaited him. Usyk delivered one of the most clinical finishes of his career stopping the Scouser in round eight.
In an interview with former two-weight champion Carl Frampton for DAZN Usyk shared a few words on the Brits he’s faced as a pro beginning with Bellew.
“First for me, great test, it’s Tony Bellew. A great man. Tony gave me opportunity,” he said.
Usyk’s time at cruiserweight came to an end after beating ‘Bomber’. Following the Covid hiatus, Usyk returned at heavyweight where he would face Derek Chisora in October 2020 to kickstart a run he hoped would take him to the sport’s grandest prize – the heavyweight title.
“Great man. For me it’s all big test,” Usyk commented.
His narrow win over Chisora had been a hard-night’s work but from there Usyk took charge of the heavyweight division beating Anthony Joshua twice, Daniel Dubois and then most recently Tyson Fury in back-to-back fights last year.
On July 19 Usyk is back in the UK to face Dubois for a second time in two years. Their first fight was staged in Poland and contained one of the more controversial moments from this era. In the fifth round Dubois landed a shot which was deemed a low blow by referee Luis Pabon. Dubois and his team were outraged, and believe to this day it was a legal shot. Frampton asked Usyk what he would have done if the referee had started a 10 count rather than giving him time to recover.
“If referee start one, two, three I wake up no problem. Not problem for me,” Usyk answered.
Having vacated the IBF title last year Usyk now holds three of the four belts. Dubois, meanwhile, has the other and is on a surge of form with three fine wins against Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.
The hat-trick of victories have helped banish the demons of his losses to Joe Joyce and Usyk – two where Dubois had been accused of quitting on both occasions. Usyk was asked whether Dubois had a weakness because of the manner of those defeats.
“Little bit. Yes. Little bit. Because maybe it’s a younger guy. Maybe. I don’t know. But Daniel a little bit afraid,” he said. Usyk, always candid and philosophical, added with a smile: “I am too! But my afraid is different.”
