Usyk: I didn’t want to fight in Russia, but I decided to take my chances

Oleksandr Usyk (16-0, 12 KOs), the undisputed cruiserweight champion, told about why he agreed to meet with Murat Gassiev (26-1, 19 KOs) in Moscow.

“I didn’t have much desire to fight in Russia. But the choice was this: either I am going to Moscow for a fight and get a chance to become the undisputed champion, or I don’t go and lose any chance of winning belts. I decided to take this chance.

“I heard criticism in my address, but I didn’t care about it. I went to Moscow to become the undisputed champion. Do you know when Ukraine will live well? When everyone will perform his or her work honestly and efficiently. I went to Russia and did my job. Let also people who criticize me do the same. My conscience is clear,” said Usyk.