A devout Christian since childhood, Oleksandr Usyk is a fighter whose faith has never wavered but only deepened with time. The heavyweight champion remains a man who both trusts and fears his God in equal measure.
As he came of age, Oleksandr learned of a personal truth: if you ask God for patience, your patience may first be tested. If you ask for peace, you may first be struck by conflict. Usyk’s modern-day proverb asserts that through suffering, perseverance is forged, character is strengthened, and virtues are developed from enduring difficult circumstances, not in the absence of them. A paradox in itself, perhaps, given that Usyk’s very vocation is to hammer his fists into his fellow man.
It would be 336 days after defending his undisputed cruiserweight championship against Tony Bellew in 2018 — a brutal knockout delivered by a straight left that put Bellew and the fight to bed in the eighth — before Usyk vacated his titles and embarked on his journey into the heavyweight ranks. First defeating faded contender Chazz Witherspoon in 2019, followed a year later by outboxing a bullish Derek Chisora, the man Usyk still names as his hardest opponent in the division.
Thereafter, between 2021 and 2024, Oleksandr claimed back-to-back points victories over Anthony Joshua. That was followed by a stoppage in round eight over Daniel Dubois, and a thrilling, narrow split decision against Tyson Fury to become undisputed champion. When Fury came knocking for the rematch, the decision was different a second time around. More decisive even, with Usyk claiming the unanimous verdict.
Usyk participated in 350 amateur fights, amassing a distinguished record of 335 wins and 15 losses. Winning gold at the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics, turning professional and beating every man he faced in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.
This unparalleled run resulted in him becoming a two-weight undisputed champion. For Usyk, the boxing ring became the arena where his virtues, courage, wisdom, and temperance, were cultivated. Like his religious beliefs and the proverbs he lives by, his path — marked by adversity and obstacles — was unavoidable, yet became the very route toward his growth as a fighter and his mastery of the craft.
But at 38 years old, with all his accolades, what else in boxing is left for him to overcome? New challenges to face, opponents to conquer. Things to learn, to grow, to evolve. What are his motivations now in a sport he has effectively completed at elite levels?
Is Daniel Dubois, a credible man he convincingly fought and beat two years ago, there sits a legitimate obstacle and potential adversity in his way. Does beating Dubois a second time prove or transcend Usyk’s existing boxing ability even further?
On Saturday, July 19, as the bell sounds for the first, and for whatever may be the last round, if there’s any edge for Daniel Dubois to have over his opponent, it will be the motivation to beat the man who stopped him with a jab two years prior. The man who hurt him at will and forced him to ask the questions and delve into his heart and search for the answers he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
The man who is the lineal heavyweight champion. The most skilled, proficient, and dangerous man of his era. The man whose status and legacy he wants to eclipse. Daniel Dubois is a formidable force. Young, powerful, with a remoulded psyche.
In the sunset of his career, what is Usyk left fighting for? Money, legacy, or pride. Money will not endure; legacy is often decided by others, and to date, Usyk’s legacy remains intact, carrying no risk of wilting if he loses to Dubois. And pride? Well, pride notoriously comes before the fall.
