Oleksandr Usyk has revealed that he could make a surprising move before retiring from the sport he has become dominant in.
The likeable Ukrainian southpaw has established himself as one of the best boxers of his generation, if not all-time. He has achieved what no man has ever done in the four belt era by becoming undisputed cruiserweight champion and then moving up to heavyweight and repeating the feat.
By becoming a two-weight undisputed champion he sits in rarefied company with the likes of Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue, though no man has ever been undisputed twice in the same division during the four-belt era.
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That is what is next on Usyk’s list. Having beaten fighters such as Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, twice, he is now keen to recapture the IBF belt he had to vacate ahead of the Fury rematch by facing new champion Daniel Dubois.
Speaking to Al Arabiya English, he has also teased a potential contest inside the MMA cage before he retires, with Alex Pereira having been mentioned as an opponent.
“Yes, I would be interested, but only after the fight with Daniel [Dubois] to match our belts. I’ve even considered the option of fighting inside a cage. It’s a joke, but every joke contains an element of truth.”
Usyk’s team has also recently said he would explore an MMA fight against Jake Paul. Speaking to OLBG, teammate Sergey Lapin said:
“It might be great to step into the cage with Jake Paul under MMA rules, it would be interesting if there is money to be made from it. Also, we never say never about fighting the dangerous Alex Pereira, possibly partnered with Dana White.”
First up is the more serious business of legacy. Dubois is currently in possession of the IBF belt coveted by Usyk. He hasn’t fought since stopping Joshua last September, but one problem with making this fight is that the WBO have ordered Usyk to defend against the in-form Joseph Parker, who is himself a former world champion.
